No details yet of China’s Mischief plan

BEIJING — China is still finalizing details of its earlier proposal for the joint use of its structures at Mischief Reef in the disputed South China Sea by Filipino and other foreign fishermen.

Fu Ying, China’s director-general for Asia-Pacific affairs, however, is optimistic that an arrangement for the structures’ joint use will soon be finalized.

"There is no timeframe (on when to open up the structures at Mischief Reef). I don’t know (when we could allow other fishermen to use the structures), but it will be worked out in the future," she told Manila-based journalists during a reception at the Foreign Ministry here.

Officials of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said China has made a commitment that it would allow Filipino fishermen to use the Chinese structures "when the time is ripe."

Fu said the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s technical group on fisheries is still finalizing details of the proposal.

"Negotiations will be made through the fisheries group. We can’t force them to decide now," Fu said.

Besides, she said Chinese fisheries officials seldom meet with their Filipino counterparts at the Department of Agriculture.