China defense minister to visit Philippines

MANILA, Philippines–China’s Defense Minister Liang Guanglie will arrive in the Philippines Saturday, the Chinese embassy said, on a trip seen as deepening military ties amid a sensitive territorial dispute.

Liang, in the midst of an Asian tour, will call on President Benigno Aquino and hold talks with his host, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, during his four-day trip, the embassy said in a statement Friday.

“The visit is expected to further advance China-Philippines friendly relations, specifically military exchanges and pragmatic cooperation,” it said.

The visit to a key United States ally in Asia followed a Philippine military announcement in December that it was due to sign a substantial deal to buy military equipment from Beijing. Details of the proposed deal have not been made public.

Philippine armed forces Chief of Staff General Eduardo Oban has said the two armies were already exchanging visits by officers while the Chinese military had donated engineering equipment to the Philippine army.

However there have been fresh tensions around the Spratlys, a reputedly oil-rich South China Sea island chain claimed in whole or in part by China and the Philippines as well as Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The Philippine military on Friday said it was investigating local news reports that two Chinese MiG-29 fighter jets had buzzed two Philippine air force OV-10 Bronco turboprops on May 12.

The reports, quoting unnamed military sources, said the Filipinos backed off and did not confront the Chinese jets.

“We’re still validating the report. We will update you as soon as we get a validation,” military spokesman Commodore Miguel Rodriguez told reporters.

The Philippine planes were patrolling over the Reed Bank, an area between the Spratlys and the Philippine island of Palawan claimed by Manila, the reports said.

Chinese embassy spokesmen could not be reached for comment Friday.

In March Manila accused Chinese patrol boats of shadowing a Philippine vessel on an oil survey mission in the Reed Bank.

Beijing later brushed off the protest while warning against any oil exploration without its consent in waters it claims in the South China Sea.