PH, China discuss security concerns with anti-China rallies during Apec

Philippine security forces leaders met with their Chinese counterparts on Wednesday to discuss special concerns on rallies against China when its President Xi Jinping arrives in the country for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) next week.

Apec task force commander and Philippine National Police chief Director General Ricardo Marquez said that Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua had issues regarding the security of Xi and the Chinese Embassy on the week-long Apec summit.

“There are no specific threats, but there are some concerns of the Chinese ambassador like some rallies particularly directed to the Chinese,” said Marquez during the press briefing at the Apec 2015’s Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) in Pasay City.

Anti-China rallies are anticipated during the Apec economic leaders’ meeting to protest China’s laying claim to almost the entire West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) citing a “nine-dash line” demarcation.

Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan are also claiming territory in the South China Sea.

“We have informed them that we have put in place provisions for those concerns and in our meeting this morning with our Chinese counterparts, we assured them that we are confident that their concerns have been properly addressed,” Marquez added.

Marquez said it was not only China who had specific concerns about the high-security event. Representatives from Japan had also met with the MACC to discuss the safety of their delegates.

“Each delegation has specific concerns. It is our duty that those concerns are properly addressed, procedure-wise and security-wise,” said Marquez.