By Veronica Uy
As the Philippines faces China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea, Denmark on Monday expressed its commitment to supporting maritime freedom and the rule-based international order.
This was made during Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen’svisit to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) headquarters, where he expressed Denmark’s solidarity with the Philippines in addressing maritime security challenges in the region.
“I decided to visit the Coast Guard because as you know, Denmark is a small country but we are quite a big maritime nation. So the freedom to navigate is crucial for us and it’s crucial for the world trade and it’s crucial for everybody,” Rasmussen said.
“So I’m here to witness firsthand the challenges linked to the Philippines upholding her own territory and to listen about, you know, incidents with the Chinese Coast Guard and what we can do about all this,” he added.
Rasmussen and the PCG officials talked about PCG’s capacity to respond effectively to maritime threats, noting the stark disparity between the resources of the Philippines and those of China. He said they also discussed how Denmark can support the Philippines in the international stage.
“One is about capacity. What is the capacity of the Philippine Coast Guard? What would be done to improve that because it’s totally disbalanced towards China,” he said.
“But perhaps even more importantly, since Denmark is now joining also the UN Security Council, it’s the international law what would be done in international forum to force all countries including China to uphold the regulations in the conventions,” he added.
Asked how Denmark may show support in terms of ensuring freedom of navigation and rule based order in the Philippines, the foreign minister said that Denmark speaks up in all international forum whenever they are given the opportunity.
“We can do our utmost in all international areas advocating that all countries have to abide to the regulations,” he said.
PCG spokesman Commodore Algier Ricafrente confirmed the discussion points between the two parties.
Ricafrente said the Danish foreign minister’s visit is about the possibility of “enhanced cooperation” between the two countries’ coast guards in terms of the PCG’s modernization and capacity-building that includes training on skills, leadership, and international law and conventions for “commonality of interpretation.”
The visit underscores Denmark’s recognition of the Philippines as a key player in the Indo-Pacific region’s security and stability. Rasmussen’s engagement with the PCG reflects a growing global consensus on the need to address maritime disputes through peaceful means and adherence to international law.
