Philippines begins to 'crack down' within government ahead of ASEAN Summit

The Philippine government has begun a crackdown on military and other government officials regarding China ahead of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit held in the country.

The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 8th (local time), saying "public statements that undermine the government's diplomatic approach" "risk eroding the country's credibility in international affairs and promote an image of internal division that can be exploited by external forces."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that “Under the Constitution, the chief designer of Philippine foreign policy is the President,” and that “no individual public official, agency or sector independently determines the direction of our country’s international relations.”

He went on to warn that public officials "should not pursue their preferred approaches to China or other international partners without considering the consequences for the government's overall policies."

In particular, he emphasized, "It is the civilian leadership that presents the direction of the country's external relations," and "both the civilian and military need to move in line with the president's policy direction."

This unusual announcement by the Philippine government appears to be related to comments made by Philippine military leaders criticizing China over the South China Sea issue.

Ahead of the ASEAN Summit, a large-scale diplomatic event scheduled to be held in Manila from the 16th to the 18th, it is said that it has begun its own investigation to diplomatically manage the conflict with China.

Earlier, in the middle of last month, Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro referred to China as a 'troublemaker' regarding the South China Sea.

In response, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jingquan said of the Philippines, "If we try to use force, we will easily win," and the Philippines' Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ambassador Jing to protest, leading to a diplomatic conflict.

Later, at the ASEAN Enlarged Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM-Plus) held in the Philippines late last month, China unusually sent only a defense attaché from the Chinese embassy rather than a defense chief, claiming that the Philippines had hindered China's participation.

In addition to ASEAN member states, U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Dasiouba are scheduled to attend this ASEAN Summit. China has not yet announced who it will send to this meeting.