(Eagle News)– The Palace on Monday belied a maritime expert’s claim the Philippines was giving “too much, too early, too soon” to China.
“On the contrary, we have upheld our national interest and produced tangible benefits for our people in pursuing friendly and mutually-beneficial ties with China,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.
According to Roque, for instance, “our people have been able to resume their right to fish in Scarborough and there is peace in the region.”
“This is over and above the increased arrivals of Chinese tourists, as well as investments from mainland China,” he said.
He said the country “will continue to defend our sovereignty and sovereign rights when we discussed our territorial and maritime disputes with China..”
He said this was while it “maximiz(es) the benefits of our people by promoting economic and other relations with China in which they are no contentious issues between us.”
Over the weekend, Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said the Philippines was “trading away too much, too early and too soon.”
As such, he said China was “gaining too much” from the Philippines’ “soft” stance.
