Phl-China relations on sea row roughly the same – Noy

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino described yesterday the relations between the Philippines and China as “roughly the same” on the West Philippine Sea issue and could not tell whether he would have a chance to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing.

“Most facets, excluding differing positions on who is entitled to what in the sea known by many names, are improving. Hopefully, we can move on that code of conduct with China as an active participant so that we introduce a regime of stability based on rules that everybody acknowledges,” Aquino said at the annual presidential forum with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

In Naypyidaw, Myanmar where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ leaders summit will be held and which he will also attend after APEC, Aquino said he would raise the code of conduct that the Philippines had been pushing to promote peace and stability in the region.

The President said during his visit to China in 2011, his counterpart then, Hu Jintao, acknowledged that the tensions in the West Philippine Sea should not be the ne-all and end-all of the countries’ multi-faceted relationship.

The ASEAN and China in 2002 agreed on the non-binding Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Aside from China and the Philippines, other claimants to the West Philippine Sea include Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Asked whether he could see any progress happening in the dialogue with China on maritime and territorial disputes during his term, Aquino said the Philippines had been trying to keep the lines of communication open.

“Even on the ground, the Chinese ambassador and our secretary of foreign affairs among others keep on dialoguing. There are certain quarters that are saying that they are being tasked to be a backchannel also,” he said.

But the President said he was not certain if he would be able to meet with Xi at the APEC.