China reaffirms mutual trust, cooperation in SCS

MANILA, Philippines - China has reaffirmed its commitment to continue pursuing dialogue with the Philippines to develop and maintain mutual trust and cooperation in resolving their dispute over the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.

While Beijing has yet to address the claims of President Duterte that Chinese President Xi Jinping had threatened war if the Philippines pushes through with its claims in the West Philippine Sea, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Friday said they expect the two countries to continue having friendly dialogues on maritime issues.

“We hope and believe that the two sides will have friendly, candid and in-depth communication and dialogues on maritime issues, pool together consensus, promote mutual trust, properly deal with disputes, move forward maritime practical cooperation, create conditions for the settlement of the relevant dispute and cultivate a favorable atmosphere for the sustained sound and steady development of bilateral ties and smooth progress of all-around cooperation,” she said.

Philippine and Chinese officials on Friday held the first meeting of the bilateral consultation meeting on the South China Sea in Guiyang.

Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana and Chinese Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Liu Zhenmin led the Philippine and Chinese delegations, respectively.

The joint statement released following the meeting said both sides reviewed their experiences in the South China Sea issue.

“They exchanged views on current and other issues of concern to either side and agreed to further discuss mutually acceptable approaches to deal with them. They also held discussions on issues including the promotion of next-step practical maritime cooperation and the possible establishment of relevant technical working groups,” it added.

The delegations also discussed the terms of reference for the bilateral consultation mechanism, which they said could be useful in ensuring peace and stability in the region.

“With a view to creating a sound atmosphere for the healthy and steady growth of bilateral relations and for the smooth progress of practical cooperation in various fields, both sides exchanged views on the importance of addressing concerns in the South China Sea and handling incidents and disputes in the South China Sea in an appropriate manner,” read the joint statement.

“Both sides also agree to explore other areas of cooperation,” it added.