10 Countries That will Help Philippines Against China

The tension between the Philippines and China has continued to rise, and if the Philippines want to gain anything from this situation, they will need significant help from the 9 countries that will help the Philippines against China. For those of you who may not be aware of the details of the situation between these two countries, here’s a brief summary of the events that have led to this situation.

The two countries are in dispute over territory in South China Sea which they both believe it theirs by right. When Japan renounced the territory way back in 1951, China immediately claimed it as its own, with reference to the Ming dynasty. In fact, a year later, China and the US issued a declaration which declared that the land belongs to China.

On the other hand, the Philippines claimed that the territory was theirs, based on the fact that the territory is in proximity to the country itself. The disputes and arguments had persisted for decades, coming to a head in 2013 when the Philippines brought an arbitration case against China in respect of the disputed territory. However, China refused to honor the arbitration case and decided not even to partake in it. Despite China’s refusal, the tribunal ruled that it had the power and the jurisdiction to decide the case, and ruled in favor of the Philippines in respect of 7 of its submissions. The tribunal further ruled that China’s claim to the land had no basis and hence, was not justified.

While the ruling should have cleared the air in normal circumstances, the dispute has still not been resolved in this case as China has completely refused to accept the ruling. Hence, since China is a much more powerful country than the Philippines, there seems to be little the Philippines can do. This is further exemplified by the fact that both the United Nations and the International Court of Justice have refused to take a side in this matter or even voice an opinion.

Thus at the end of the day, it comes down to the support of individual countries. Due to China’s power, more countries support either China’s stance or at the very least, support bilateral talks. Most of these countries belong to the continent of Africa, which is not surprising considering China has pledged billions in aid to those countries. On the other hand, some major countries have also announced their support for the arbitration ruling and the stance taken by the Philippines, which include some of the 10 Most Powerful Countries in the World: Military.

Let’s take a look at the 9 countries that will help the Philippines against China, starting with number 10.

9. Vietnam

Vietnam has a personal interest in the arbitration, as it believes it has an interest in the disputed territory as well. It has publicly announced that it disagrees with China’s claims regarding the disputed territory. This has led to China claiming that its neighbors are now being unlawful. Further, Vietnam itself submitted its stance relating to the disputed territory. This may be part of the reason the arbitration court decided against China. Of course, this may be considered a moot point since China has refused to accept the ruling.

8. Japan

Another country on our list of countries that will help the Philippines against China to have officially announced its support Philippines is Japan. Japan’s foreign ministry stated that the Philippines appeal to the arbitration court was the correct decision to make, despite China’s refusal to accept the arbitration. The main reason behind Japan’s support is that the Philippines is aiming for a peaceful resolution instead of resorting to warfare tactics. Japan’s belief is that this dispute could ruin the peace in the area, especially considering China’s growth and aggressive tactics. Furthermore, Japan believes that this will affect international relations as it is a matter of maritime laws.

7. Italy

One of the several European countries to back the Philippines, Italy which ranks 7th on our list of countries that will help the Philippines against China, publicly expressed its support regarding Philippine’s stance on the disputed territory in December 2015. The Philippines president met with the President and Prime Minister of Italy to strengthen the relations between the two countries. One of the most important points of these talks was the discussion of the dispute between Philippines and China, which ended with Italy supporting the Philippines. Once again, Italy’s support was mainly due to the fact that the Philippines opted for a peaceful resolution.

6. India

India and China have had a complicated relationship for a while, mainly due to border issues between the neighboring countries. Further, the two countries have opposed each other on various issues, such as China suppressing India at the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Hence, when the arbitration ruling came down on China, India could not let go the opportunity to criticize China regarding the ruling. A statement released by the government stated that all parties should follow the ruling laid down by the arbitration court after China announced that they would not accept the ruling at all. It seems India was criticizing China for not following international and remaining aggressive.

Furthermore, India expects that this ruling will weaken China’s stature and reputation and may help the country oppose China in other issues, such as the aforementioned Nuclear Suppliers Group, where China has been trying to recruit New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa and Brazil against India.

5. Germany

One of the strongest countries in Europe, Germany, the number 5 on our list of countries that will help the Philippines against China has strong ties with China. In fact, it is has aimed to make these ties even stronger as China accounts for a significant percentage of exports made from Germany. However, Germany has noted that China needs to develop in some areas while touching on the South China Sea issue. While German Chancellor Angela Merkel ensured that the language used would be sufficient so as to address the issue while avoiding criticizing China. Merkel supported a legal decision regarding the dispute, and now that China has refused to accept the ruling, it will be interesting to note what Germany’s reaction will be, considering the importance of its relations with China.

4. Canada

One of the first countries to announce its support for the Philippines decision to seek arbitration, Canada made this announcement back in June 2014. However, it is important to note that Canada has also stated that the government does not specifically take sides in territorial disputes and hence, is not supporting either country outright. Instead, the country suggested peaceful dialogue and legal means of resolving the dispute. Furthermore, the Canadian government also suggested an alliance between South Asian countries in order to decide a Code of Conduct to be enforced with reference to the South China Sea, which is almost entirely claimed by China. And now, let’s see the top three on our list of countries that will help the Philippines against China.

3. The United Kingdom

Another major European country to announce its support for Philippine’s stance, with the British ambassador stating that his country has always been against any hostile or provocative acts conducted by any country in the South China Sea, hinting strongly that this statement concerned China. Britain cited the recent agreement between Indonesia and the Philippines regarding further disputed territory that peaceful negotiations and legal means were the only way to resolve such disputes. Further, this example showed that this was not just wishful thinking but proof that such methods work. Britain also showed its alarm that the conflict seemed to be growing despite the existence of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Once again, Britain, like most others countries in this list, has emphasized its focus on peaceful resolution rather than war or violence.

2. France

In 2015, meetings held between representatives of both countries led to agreements regarding sharing of intelligence to be able to counter terrorism more effectively. However, this was not the only item on the agenda. France which ranks second in our list of countries that will help the Philippines against China showed its support to the Philippines when they were seeking arbitration to resolve the South China Sea territory dispute. France wanted a rule-based decision in this regard, which it believed was a necessity to maintain the peace and prosperity of the region.

1. The United States of America

The most powerful country in the world is also one of the 10 countries that will help the Philippines against China. The United States has long since had a difficult relation with China, as the two countries compete for power and becoming the greatest economy in the world. The US has a great interest in ensuring that China is kept in check and not allowed to exploit its power. This has been the main motivation behind placing its support for the Philippines throughout the course of the conflict.

However, these aren’t just words. Now that reports are emerging that China is building artificial islands which can host weapons, the US has warned China that such aggressive behavior is unacceptable and that it would not allow China to carry out such actions.

While the US has made clear its position, it is interesting whether the other countries mentioned on this list will follow suit now that China has rejected the ruling and is acting in direct contravention of the ruling.