MANILA – Malacañang said issues on the West Philippine Sea were among those discussed during a meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte raised the issue before Xi at the sidelines of the 2019 Belt and Road forum on Thursday in Beijing.
“Both agreed the situation can be managed by mechanism of bilateral negotiations but it should not affect the cooperation by both Philippines and China and they look forward to a productive discussion on matters of mutual concern and interests,” Panelo said.
In response to Duterte’s reminder, Xi mentioned the importance of “good neighborliness and proper handling of differences” between the two countries.
“While the Chinese leader acknowledged the inevitable of having challenges to the bilateral relations, he placed importance on the mutual trust that exists between the two nations in order to resolve the same,” Panelo said.
“President Xi cited the Memorandum of Understanding on oil and gas as an example where both Philippines and China suspended their differences for a joint exploration that would mutually benefit both countries and their people,” he added.
In July 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s sweeping claims to the South China Sea and ruled in favor of the Philippines.
It affirmed Manila’s sovereign rights in some areas claimed by China which fall within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
China continued to reject the arbitral ruling based on historical sweeping claim to almost the entire South China Sea. /PN
