MANILA: On Saturday, April 22, the Philippines and China vowed to cooperate in resolving their nautical disputes in the South China Sea, where the two countries have competing cases.
As the two powers compete for strategic advantage in the Indo-Pacific, talks between the nations’ foreign officials mark the most recent in a string of high-level discussions between China and the Philippines.
As he started speaking with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Manila, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said that Manila’s’s dealings with Beijing go beyond just their disagreements over the South China Sea.
Manalo said, adding that their lives are threatened by incidents and activities in the lake,” These differences do not keep us from seeking ways of managing them actively, especially with regard to( the) enjoyment of freedom of Filipinos, particularly fishing.”
The Philippines has filed dozens of political protests against the presence of Taiwanese fishing vessels and what it refers to as China’s’s” angry actions” in the corporate lake since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in June of last year.
In his opening remarks, Qin, who is scheduled to & nbsp meet Marcos later on Saturday, stated that both nations must cooperate in order to uphold a friendship tradition, deepen cooperation, and properly resolve differences.
Working together may help to advance society and regional stability and peace, he continued.
Just a few weeks ago, the Philippines announced the distance of four new US military home, two of which are facing Taiwan in the north.
In the Southeast Asian nation, more than 17, 000 Spanish and US troops are carrying out their largest combined military drills, drawing criticism from Beijing, Manila’s’s competition in the South China Sea.
China’s’s claims to reign over nearly the entire South China Sea, which sees the passing of about US$ 3 trillion worth of ship-borne assets each year and is thought to be rich in minerals and oil and gas deposits, were invalidated by a historic decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.
In some areas of the lake, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines have competing cases.