The
joint development of areas in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) that
“are clearly ours is not a viable solution” to our problem with China,
according to Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario.
As for the potentially resource-rich Spratlys
group of islands, the Philippines is “open to considering joint development in
the disputed areas,” Del Rosario told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Sunday.
Del Rosario said that during his meeting last
week with Wang Yingfan and Wang Chungui, two former Chinese ambassadors to the
Philippines who were here on a goodwill visit, he “reiterated our position that
we are open to inviting China in the Recto Bank as an investor to be governed
by [our] laws.”
The Recto Bank (Reed Bank), he pointed out,
was an “integral part of the Philippines and, as such, cannot be jointly
developed.”
"To do so would be in violation of our
Constitution,” he said.
The Recto Bank had drawn China’s interest
several months ago when the Philippine Air Force discovered several Chinese
vessels in its vicinity.
Other
option
As another option, Del Rosario said “we again
asked if China would join us in availing of the dispute settlement mechanism
under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” or Unclos.
He said he told his guests the government was
“endeavoring to look at all means to arrive at a peaceful solution of the
disputes in the West Philippine Sea in accordance with international law,
specifically Unclos.”
Apart from China’s suggestion that the
Philippines revisit the concept of joint development of the Spratlys, the two
sides also discussed "how both nations are advancing our bilateral agenda
while treating contentious issues separately, and the view that we should not
accept all that appear in the press as being factual,” Del Rosario said.
According to the secretary, the retired
ambassadors were “very appreciative (they) came to enhance our friendship and
cooperation.”
Earlier, he told this paper that “their visit
serves to put substance in the initiative (of China and the Philippines) on
friendly visits.”
During President Benigno Aquino III’s state
visit to Beijing last August, both sides declared 2012 and 2013 the “Years of
Friendly Exchanges” between the two Asian neighbours.
Set
aside quarrel
On Wednesday, Wang Yingfan told a media forum
organised by the Chinese Embassy that the Philippine government should consider
the "Deng Xiaoping Solution” to the Spratlys dispute, that is, setting
aside the territorial quarrel in favour of a joint exploration and development
of the disputed waters.
Wang, who served in Manila from 1988 to 1990,
stressed “it is time for cooperation, not confrontation, not fighting.”
He said he had “talked with some important
people in your government that we should work hard to find ways that are
acceptable to both sides, that we must work hard to prepare the ground so that
we could share the resources together.”
According to Wang, the response he got “was
very encouraging. They said they would consider this kind of thinking. So with
patience, with goodwill and with hard work, we could find a way out that’s
agreeable and acceptable to both sides.”
Wang also advised Filipinos to “spend your
energy on economic development.”
He said it would be some time before the two
Spratlys claimants could find a solution to the dispute.
Wang also warned the Philippines against
bringing the United States into the equation, saying this would be unacceptable
to China which would “certainly react” if that happened.
Wang stressed that allowing the US to meddle
in the six-nation Spratlys conflict was another story. “That would make the
issue more complicated and more difficult to settle among ourselves,” he said.
The Philippines and China claim all or part of
the Spratlys along with Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
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