DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte said on Saturday, June 16, that the hydrocarbon exploration to fuel its industrialization was the sole reason behind China’s maritime activities in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
Hydrocarbon exploration is the search by petroleum geologists and geophysicists for a hydrocarbon deposits beneath the surface of the Earth, such as oil and natural gas.
“China, for all of its, whatever, posturing there is, is also interested in oil,” the Mr. Duterte said in his speech during the Eid’l Fitr celebration attended by around 650 Moro leaders as well as a number of officials and representatives from various groups in Davao City.
The Philippine President also stressed out that all of China’s activities in the West Philippine Sea were because of oil and gas exploration “because it fuels industrialization.”
Duterte said that oil is a very important chemical substance that even the Western nations want to control other oil producing countries such as those in the Arab world.
“[Everything depends on] oil. Vehicles produced even by the primitive lathe machines that is a product of an equipment or machine using oil. If there is no oil, we won’t have electricity,” Duterte added. “So it’s the resources. Eventually, it’s geopolitics.”
Late last month, Duterte warned China that it will go to war over oil and natural gas resources in the West Philippine Sea.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano stated that amongst the territorial issues discussed with China were construction activities at a disputed zone and the unilateral extraction of oil and gas in the West Philippine Sea.
“Nobody can extract natural resources there on their own,” Cayetano said.
“The president has declared that. If anyone gets the natural resources in the West Philippine Sea, he will go to war,” the former senator added. — The Centrio News
