Rear Admiral Caesar Taccad, new chief of the Philippine Navy, said in an interview with media that no territorial expansion of China is happening in the South China Sea.
Rear Admiral Caesar Taccad assumed as the new chief of the Philippine Navy on August 10. He swore to defend the maritime interests of the Philippines and did not mention the country's involvement in the South China Sea disputes during the change of command ceremony at the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila.
Benigno Aquino III, president of the Philippines, attended the change of command ceremony on August 10, 2015, and appointed Rear Admiral Caesar Taccad to replace Vice Admiral Jesus Millan who has retired, according to the report by the Philippine Star on August 11, 2015.
Taccad said in his speech that the Philippine Navy would aim for a stable, productive and constructive relationship with other maritime stakeholders and partner navies to preserve peace in the Asia-Pacific region.
When asked about China's operations in the South China Sea, Taccad said, "I think we are in a better position now. We are communicating with China, and more or less not as threatened as before. You know what they are trying to do and we try to maintain more or less peaceful co-existence or settlement of what issue we have ".
He said, "China has been there for a long time and they are guarding their interests in the South China Sea. No expansion is happening".
