MANILA – The Philippines and China have talked about deescalating and managing the disputes in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday the two countries discussed the situation in the disputed waters during a bilateral meeting in Manila on Tuesday.
The discussions between Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong was “frank and constructive” with regards to the disputed waters.
Among the recent confrontations between Philippines and China was on June 17 at the Ayungin Shoal. Chinese Coast Guard vessels rammed Philippine vessels, seized firearms and rubber boats, and threatened Filipino soldiers with knives, axes and spears to stop them from delivering food supplies, firearms and other necessities to Filipino troops at the Second Thomas Shoal.
“Both sides recognized that there is a need to restore trust, rebuild confidence, and create conditions conducive to productive dialogue and interaction,” the DFA said.
“The two sides discussed their respective positions on Ayungin Shoal and affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions,” it added.
The DFA also said that, while there was “substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea,” the “significant differences” between the two countries remain.
However, both China and the Philippines have agreed to continue discussions “to find a mutually-acceptable resolution to the issues,” the DFA further said.
Lazaro also told her counterpart that the Philippines “will be relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.”
The two sides also signed an Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms and agreed to discuss further how to prevent miscommunication and confrontation at sea.
“Both sides agreed that continued dialogue on the basis of mutual respect as two equal sovereign states facilitates peace and stability at sea, and committed to having the 10th BCM in China to sustain the positive momentum on discussions,” the DFA said.
The Philippines won a landmark case against China’s massive claim in the South China Sea before an arbitration tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, but Beijing refuse to recognize the ruling./PN
