getting ahead, using tech. as our documentary series of vendors, daily africa. to meet the founders empowering their continent through digital innovation. to transform work in health and living conditions in their country, pending spiraled with their ideas. founded valley africa. watch now, on to w documentary. with 50 dublin years, asia coming up to date, the philippines is china challenge. manila is accused beijing of violating its sovereignty. after the chinese ship flashed elisa to filipino ship in a disputed part of the south china sea, philippines. foreign secretary tales, d, w, y, such incidents off troubling really when explained to them,

our only hope is that they would refrain. but if they're going to compete, at least sometimes to do it in a more friendly way rather than in a laser. ah, i british manager, welcome to the dublin news, asia glad you could join us. philippines president fed man marco's junior, has bowed not to lose one inch of territory. days after a face off between a chinese and philippines coast guard ship. in the south china sea. manila sees the chinese coast guard ship pointed a military grade lisa, at the crew of the filipino ship, blinding them temporarily. the confrontation, nocka gather sprightly islands that the philippines claims is part of its data trade, china disputes. the came along with similar themes from other countries over islands

in the south, tennessee. the w janelle milan has been speaking to the philippines, foreign secretary, enrique him, and aloe about the growing tensions. she began by asking him what the philippines is doing to prevent what is now regular harassment by china, of its vessels. there is nothing to do with somebody with a harassment. i mean it's not only vessels, it's also fishermen. we of course, have approached china almost regularly every time we learn of a situation and really when we explain it to them, our only hope is that they would refrain. but if they're going to impede at least sometimes they should do it in a more friendly way. rather than pointing a laser, what's a more friendly way? well, they can at least ask us not to proceed to this, certainly to this area, but it doesn't mean that we would necessarily agree,

but unfortunately that's the situation. now, in certain parts of the south china sea, which are actually part of our exclusive economic zone, where we actually, we have the right to take advantage of whatever resources are there. and not the, let's say, prevented from doing so. actually, it's a whirl sound to, to them preventing us from using parts of our exclusive economic zone. the problem is they deny that they actually have prevented us from doing it sometimes saying that they did not really prevent us. they were just guiding us away from certain area. so it's, it's, it's one of those things. now, it's been quite a few years since the philippines, one, it's arbitration case in the hague. china, of course, still seems determined to ignore it. how has this ruling really helped the philippines then? well, it has confirmed at least the fact that the, the chinese claim, or the so called 9 dash line,

does not hold water and is inconsistent with the un convention on the sea. and because of this, we have garnered support from various countries on the interpretation about ruling . of course, china does not recognize the rulings. all we can really do at this stage is, is continue to distress the rule of law. and if there are any differences or disputes, they should be settled in accordance with the rule of law. now you've spoken of support. of course, this week when official has said that washington and manila are exploring joint coast guard patrols, washington is also increasing its military presence in the philippines. how would you describe the philippine position now in terms of balancing us and china ties? well, you know, as of every country in the region, we're faced with the growing us china rivalry. actually, what is these arrangements we have with united states that are really part of our

existing treaty mutual defense 3 d, and more specifically the visiting horses agreements. and but many of these operations are really aimed that improving our monetary and disasters or natural disasters. aside from perhaps also serving if necessary, training in case we run any security threats. president marcus has articulated that the philippines will be a friend to all and an enemy to non. this will clearly not always be possible, especially given that the u. s. and the philippines or treaty allies, what sort of red lines does the philippines have? that would make it invoke the mutual defense treaty, that it has with a u. s. being friends to all or friends isn't the salary the mean? you don't have any problems with your friends or any issues, but we, as friends, the, the whole idea is if we have differences, we should try and resolve them peacefully. or at least in

a friendly way. that's what we're trying to say. and in the case of china, we do have extensive relations with china, especially on the economic front. and there's always been this understanding, at least for the past few years, that the differences we have in the westfield, b, c, or south trying to see or not the sum total of our relationship. nevertheless, we do have differences there. so while we wish to, let's say enhance our economic ties. and we also need to address the challenges we face in the south china sea. all right, let's get more context on the phone secretaries remarks from richard head area. and he's an author columnist and political scientist and an expert in philippines. china ties returned from what the foreign secretary is saying. do you get the impression that the philippines has a new way to take an old challenge from china in the south china sea?

well, it's hard to say that, oh, there is a new way here. ready are dealing with the old challenge because on the one hand, the challenge from chinese and evolving challenge, as far as the philippines is concerned, we're not only facing fritz in the south china sea area where we have to return these we china. but now the invasion of taiwan is increasing probability, right. and there, even discussions of that happening within the coming years, if not common decades. so now the philippines is also worried that bought the potential ramifications of a chinese invasion or any kind of serious minutes. our operations against taiwan, which by to weight is separated from philippines by a very narrow straight. so the threat from chinese not are not evolving. and at the same time, the philippines strategies also adjusting accordingly. so the market junior administration policy is on like any of the previous administration, is your administration precise because it's friendly or to china than previous liberal reforms administration, but definitely tougher also in china than the previous deter it administration.

it's interesting you mentioned time on because i did want to me was on taiwan and we did ask the voters lecture about that that's coming up in a bit. but just staying in the south china sea, china has refused to consider with the philippines is saying essentially it also does not accept the 2016 drooling from the hey, international arbitration cold. that essentially room china does not have a claim or the south china sea. what options does the philippines really have? well, actually i would have argued it more forcefully than the philippine foreign secretary . i think the philippine arbitration, the word actually isn't extremely useful. first of all, have you not these chinese not using the term 9 dash line anymore because it knows that it's a legal joke that it's a diplomatic liability. so since the word came out, china is coming up with alternative ideas and alternate. adopt trends that have also been struck down and ridiculous and marked by global experts. so actually it's working because chinese itself is rethinking its diplomatic positioning in the language and do this when it comes to the claim number to the philippine arbitration award,

actually provided the legal pretext for the united states to expand its military prisons in the area, particularly in terms of what you called fried off navigation operations. over the past few years, we have seen dozens of american war ships getting close to the chinese artificially created islands and challenging chinese claims. and now we see even european countries coming in, not as aggressive as the united states, but legal, aggressive, diplomatic, aggressive. and sometimes we see the french, the europeans also passing through with their worships to also send a signal. so to be honest, i think the philippines is not recognizing how effective its policy has been, but that's my argument. it has been effective but not, but we have to leverage its further in prison markets. it's been very clear, it's non negotiable. the philippines has no territory, disputes we china, because china claims in the philippine waters are inconsistent with international law. i'm glad talking to you and getting some context out of the foreign secretaries remarks. but as you mentioned, the threat from taiwan and what the tensions over that island could also impact the

philippines and my colleague, janelle did ask for the secretary me, and i know about that is what he said, the valves, the, the plans. but there are plans, but our policy here is really to see that nothing serious happens. i mean, no military conflict occurs and i want because our view is that, well, 1st of all, aside from the fact we have 150000 b knows i want is only the southern most steep of taiwan is only about 70 can ometer from the northern most tip of the philippines in the lose on so obviously any, any military conflict there will most likely directly affect the really things richard, is this the rationale, you think, behind grunting the u. s. military access to philippine military bases in the north

of the country? i mean, 1st of all, let's keep in mind you cannot choose your neighbor. so our geography with tie one is something we cannot negotiate. it's there. and any major show down there between china and taiwan, united states is gonna affect us, which brings us to the number 2 issue when you already have a treaty last week, rather prepare for that situation than just standing under the, on the sidelines. because the philippines cannot be neutral, visa, us, even actual war happens. allies cannot be neutral. not having said that, it's interesting. they say, you know, it takes a nixon to go to china. you could also argue that it takes them market junior to correct the excesses of that they're the administration. i think president did. 3rd, the went a bit too far in his ah, strategic flirtation, we china, and also, with his animosity towards the west. so marcus junior, who is a suppose it alo of the deter, this is ashley correcting that. my warn is that he might be over correcting that and doing things too fast, because it makes sense for the philippines to solidify its alliance with the united states. but the war we have is that we might get too much involved in the u. s.

preparations for to tie one war. and we might give soft verde creep basis and northern most areas of the philippines, access to the americans to those bases. and that might provoke china and create reactions that we may not be prepared for. so i am glad with the direction he'd been foreign was about. i also have some misgivings about how fasting, certain going, the plastic 7 months. really we have about a minute left to go present, macos was in bridging in january. did that visit how permissions? i think that visit was extremely crucial, precisely because it showed the limits of diplomacy. you know, we keep on saying friends, the all enemy to non but how can we be friends, the countries that are not acting like france if not like enemies, right. so if you look at his visit to china, it was only 2 days. he brought 200 people with him, but we got barely any breakthrough on the south, china, the disputes and guess what? also barely any breakthrough on all of this on feel, feel chinese promises to the philippines. i call the pledge strap not dead trop, because ne investment came in, but to tear,

to gave all sorts of concessions. so marcus learned his lesson, and his recalibrating rid of her better known as a pleasure, talking to relieve with her. thanks so much for joining us of her pleasure as alice and that does it for today. there's more from the region on our website at the w dot com, forward slash geisha. and as always, you can follow us on facebook and twitter. we're back tomorrow at the same time to them, but with a would people have to say matters to us. and

that's why we listen to their stories. reporter every weekend on d. w. not just another day with so much is happening all at once. we take time to understand this is the day and in depth look at the current news events analyzed by experts and critical thinkers. this is with weekdays on d, w ah, russian president vladimir putin says the western sanctions responding to his invasion of ukraine have fail. that's in the long delayed state of the nation. the nation speech on choose day also on the show pakistan approve attack

found luxury goods in exchange for unlocking and i am a bailout and one danish cities beds. it's going full steam ahead towards climate neutrality. we learn how this is dw business. i'm janelle dumas on. welcome president. vladimir putin said. western sanctions for russia's invasion of ukraine had failed and insisted bratia had all the resources it needs to support the economy. in a state of the nation addressed to rushes to houses of parliament. hooton's said he would restructure the economy and focus on domestic demand to offset pressure from the west. last year's 2 point one percent decline in russia's gdp was less severe than forecast. he also said moscow was working with other countries to build new payment systems and financial architecture.