JUNE 8 — Malacañang on Sunday welcomes China’s statement “they would not seek any military solution to the territorial disputes” in the West Philippines Sea (WPS).
“Ikinalulugod natin ang mga pahayag na tulad niyan at sang-ayon din po tayo doon sa proposisyon na hindi dapat gumamit ng anumang military solution. At inaayunan din po natin ‘yung kanilang pahayag na ang apatnapung taong pakikipag-ugnayan sa pagitan ng China at ng Pilipinas ay peaceful, friendly at cooperative,” said Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., in a radio interview.
Coloma said that since the maritime dispute in the WPS involves other countries it will not be as simple as solving the issue bilaterally.
“Marami pong bansa, usually po ay more than two sa bawat pinagtatalunang lugar diyan o features o maritime entitlements diyan sa West Philippine Sea. Kaya po iyon po ang ating posisyon. Hindi po ganoon kasimple,” said Coloma.
Zhao Jianhua, China’s ambassador to Manila, last Friday said, “We want the Philippines to return to the negotiating table,” and added that China has no precondition to the resumption of the talk.
On March last year, the Philippines have filed a memorial before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) against China regarding its reclamation activities in the WPS.
Other claimants of land features located at the disputed maritime area are Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. PND (ag)
