New irritant looms in Sino-US relations as Harris plans visit to island near disputed chain

Kamala Harris (Image: AFP)

After his first in-person meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit on November 14, US President Joe Biden expressed confidence that Taiwan faces no immediate threat from Beijing.

But a new front may be opening with China when US vice President Kamala Harris visits an island on the edge of the South China Sea and near the disputed Spratly islands during her official trip to the Philippines on November 22.

She will be the highest-ranking US official to visit Palawan Island, near the Spratly islands.

China has dredged land out of the sea floor to strengthen its claim to the area, known for its rich oil and gas reserves.

But China has prevented the Philippines from carrying out any activities in the area where the disputed island chain is located.

A visit by former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in August had thrown Sino-American relations into a tailspin.

As China conducted a series of coercive military exercises to protest against Pelosi’s visit to the self-governed island, which Beijing claims to be a breakaway province, it had created unprecedented tension for weeks in the Taiwan Straits.

Taiwan a ‘red line’

The focus of the recent Biden-Xi meeting was to find ways to bring down the tension over Taiwan.

As the two leaders sought to normalise relations, the Chinese President made it clear that the Taiwan issue was the first “red line” that must not be crossed by the US if it was keen to keep relations with China on an even keel.

Harris’ visit to the Philippines’ Island could revive the strains in Sino-US relations.

China’s bilateral ties with the Philippines had begun to strain in 2009 when Beijing became assertive about its claims over the South China Sea.

China had even prevented the Philippines from exploring for oil and gas and fishing in the disputed waters.

Tribunal’s ruling

In 2013, the Philippines had filed an arbitral case against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In 2016, the Tribunal dismissed China’s “historical claims” to the resources that fell within the island chain in the South China Sea.

The ruling meant that unless the dispute was settled, no country had an exclusive claim on the island chain.

The Spratly Islands are claimed by not only China and the Philippines, but also Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan.

On Tuesday, Harris will fly to Palawan province, which lies along the South China Sea, to meet fishermen, villagers officials, and the coast guard.

US commitment to the Philippines

The Philippine coast guard will welcome the US Vice President on board one of its biggest patrol ships, BRP Teresa Magbanua, in Palawan.

Harris is also likely to make a speech there, underscoring US commitment to defending ally Philippines under their 1951 agreement, which obliges the US to come to Manila’s defence if it is under attack from any country.

In the wake of China’s assertive rise, Washington has often accused Beijing of bullying smaller nations in the region and ignoring their claim to islands.

Harris is scheduled to meet Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after she participates in an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meeting in Thailand.

Engaged, committed to allies

"China can take the message it wants," the AP news agency quoted a senior Biden administration official as saying.

The US official said: “The message to the region is that the United States is a member of the Indo-Pacific. We're engaged, we're committed to the security of our allies in the region."

In 2014, the US and Philippines signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) in the wake of rising tensions in the South China Sea.

The Agreement was aimed at advancing the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries.

When Rodrigo Duterte was the Philippines President, he delayed its implementation as he tried to get close to China. He had even threatened to terminate the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement, which facilitates easy entry of US troops into the Philippines.

Defence ties

Since Marcos Jr. was elected President, he has taken a firm stand against China and decided to revive the Phlippines’ strong military ties with the US even as he spoke about pursuing an “independent” foreign policy.

The US recently said it will invest $66 million to build training and warehouse facilities on three bases in the country.

The Philippines said it wanted to speed up the implementation of the defence agreement that will allow US troops to be stationed in the country for an extended period.

It has also been talking to the US on additional sites that can be covered under the EDCA and include areas near Taiwan and the South China Sea.

But the military bases covered by EDCA are owned and operated by the Philippine military because foreign military bases are not allowed under the Philippine constitution.

It remains to be seen how China reacts to these developments after it agreed to put back its relations with the US on track during the Biden-Xi meeting.