Phl open to work with China on sea tensions

The Philippines remains open to bringing China back to the table for talks to resolve differences in the West Philippine Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said yesterday.

- MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

"We have been working hard to bring back China to the table to talk with us to resolve differences on these issues," Manalo said at a public hearing of the Senate committee on foreign affairs yesterday.

The two countries held a working group meeting last week in preparation for a potential Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting in July, Manalo told the Senate committee on foreign affairs.

He said the "primacy of dialogue and diplomacy even in the face of these serious incidents" highlighted last Friday's National Maritime Council meeting attended by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

"Whatever confidence-building measures we achieve, they will be not at the expense of promotion of our sovereignty, sovereign rights, as well as our rights and jurisdiction on the West Philippine Sea," he emphasized.

"Of course, I admit it's also a challenge. Nevertheless, we will pursue the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international laws," he said.

In the BCM meeting next month, Manalo said the Philippines and China would try to determine "whether we can arrive at some understandings or confidence building measures, which could hopefully create a basis then for more serious discussions to see how we can address these other issues."

He said the DFA had already "sternly" communicated with the Chinese embassy its position that it was "really incomprehensible how the delivery of basic necessities to our troops on the BRP Sierra Madre could be considered a provocation that would justify an increased level of Chinese actions."

He maintained the China Coast Guard (CCG)'s behavior last June 17 in Ayungin Shoal "only intensified and escalated tensions," and that it was "certainly, something we should be concerned about."