MANILA, Philippines - Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario believes relations with China can improve without sacrificing Philippine advocacies and the arbitration initiated by Manila to challenge Beijing’s claims over nearly the entire South China Sea.
Del Rosario, who was conferred the Management Man of the Year 2014 award by the Management Association of the Philippines yesterday, said President Aquino had a “casual, positive and sincere” conversation in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Both presidents are desirous of improving relations and we believe that relations can be improved and we could do this without sacrificing our advocacies, including pursuing our maritime entitlements under UNCLOS through arbitration,” Del Rosario said in his speech at the awarding ceremony at The Peninsula Manila hotel in Makati City.
Del Rosario said the country’s foreign policy would continue to evolve, defined by the national government and the ever-changing international environment.
The DFA said the meeting of the two presidents is a positive development and the DFA shares Aquino’s optimism with regard to the future direction of relations with China.
The meeting between the two leaders showed that communication has resumed at the highest level.
The Philippines is hopeful that the country could resume constructive engagement with China, especially in areas where traditionally Manila and Beijing were able to cooperate, including trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
On Wednesday, the Philippines welcomed the Chinese president’s commitment to use peaceful means in pursuit of Beijing’s goals, including maritime disputes, but Manila wants Beijing to match its promise with action.
The DFA said Xi’s expression of commitment, when coupled with concrete actions on the ground, would ultimately lead to an improved situation in the South China Sea.
Concrete actions to match the Chinese leader’s commitment to peace should mean putting a stop to Chinese reclamation work and withdrawing their presence from Philippine territory.
Addressing the Australian parliament last week, Xi said, “China remains unshakeable in its resolve to pursue peaceful development.”
Del Rosario paid tribute to the dedication and courage of Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) personnel in carrying out their mandate, particularly in assisting overseas Filipinos in crisis and dangerous situations worldwide.
He also thanked the MAP for the award conferred on him and the support of the organization for the DFA.
“What I would like to do is just very simply, from deep in my heart, I want to thank the MAP not just for this award but for supporting the DFA in its foreign policy,” Del Rosario said.
Meanwhile, the DFA is checking a report that China has been building an island in the South China Sea that could host an airstrip.
The land reclamation project was Chi- na’s fourth in the Spratly Islands in the last 12 to 18 months and by far the larg- est, IHS Jane’s 360 said.
It based its findings on images taken on Aug. 8 and Nov. 14 showing that dredgers had created a land mass almost the entire length of the Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef in the contested Spratly Is- lands.
“We have to validate that.We will take a look,” Del Rosario told reporters yes- terday.
The construction has stoked concern that China may be converting disputed territory in the mineral-rich archipelago into military installations, adding to ten- sions in the waters also claimed by Tai- wan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei.
China defies US call to stop island project
China yesterday hit back at “irrespon- sible remarks” from the United States which has called on Beijing to stop a land reclamation project in the disputed South China Sea that could be large enough to accommodate an airstrip.
China lays claim to almost all of the entire South China Sea, believed to be rich with minerals and oil-and-gas de- posits and one of Asia’s biggest possible flashpoints. Brunei, Malaysia, the Phil- ippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims.
The comments by China’s foreign ministry signal that Beijing would firmly reject proposals by any country to freeze any activity that may raise tension.
Media reports over the weekend cited US military spokesman Lieutenant Colo- nel Jeffrey Pool as urging China “to stop its land reclamation programme and en- gage in diplomatic initiatives to encour- age all sides to restrain themselves in these sorts of activities”.