The ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ (๐๐๐) clarified that it is ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ in any ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ on a ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐, including rumored joint patrols in in the West Philippine Sea.
According to ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ค๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง on the WPS, ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐, the ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, despite statements ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.
RADM TARRIELA adds that as far as the PCG is concerned, โ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐, ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฌ.โ
While the proposed deal focuses on non-sensitive areas like environmental protection and search-and-rescue, it comes amid years of tension between the PCG and the China Coast Guard, including repeated confrontations involving water cannons, collisions, and harassment of Filipino fishermen.
