MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and China have agreed on the importance of dialogue during their bilateral talks on the South China Sea issue, which were held amid recent tensions triggered by the swarming of Chinese vessels in areas within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
“The two sides had friendly and candid exchanges on the general situation and specific issues of concern in the South China Sea. There was mutual recognition of the importance of dialogue in easing tensions and understanding each country’s position and intentions in the area,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement yesterday.
After a long postponement, the two countries finally convened virtually on Friday the sixth meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea, which was established by President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in 2016.
“Both sides acknowledged the importance of addressing differences in an atmosphere of openness and cordiality to pave the way for practical cooperation and initiatives,” the DFA added.
According to the DFA, the Philippines reiterated its long-standing call for full respect for and adherence to international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.
The DFA described the award as “final and binding” and the “authoritative interpretation and application” of the decades-old convention.
The Philippines also highlighted the progress made in the settlement of the 2019 Recto (Reed) Bank incident, where Philippine fishing boat Gem-Ver sank after it was rammed by a Chinese vessel.
The DFA said the Department of Justice (DOJ) would take the lead in seeking just compensation for the victims, in negotiations to be held next month.
The Philippines hosted the meeting, with delegations led by Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Elizabeth Buensuceso and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao.
Other Philippine officials present were representatives from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Security Council, Department of National Defense, Philippine Coast Guard and the DOJ.
During the meeting, Buensuceso stressed the importance of other complementary bilateral and multilateral platforms in maintaining regional peace and stability, such as the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit.
Both sides also reiterated the importance of the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and their commitment to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, said the DFA.
The BCM bilateral forum was envisioned as a platform for dialogue on expanding bilateral relationship between the Philippines and China.
It also serves as a confidence-building process for both sides to manage and address differences, to promote practical maritime cooperation and environmental protection and to enhance mutual trust and confidence.
The last meeting was hosted by China in Beijing in October 2019.
Convene NSC
Meanwhile, Sen. Richard Gordon has joined calls urging President Duterte to convene the full National Security Council (NSC) to come up with a stronger policy on Chinese encroachment in Philippine waters.
Gordon said convening the full NSC, which includes former presidents and leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as Cabinet officials, would provide Duterte fresh perspectives and new proposals on how to defend the country’s sovereign rights without escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
“Why is the President saying we can’t do anything? War is not the issue here. The issue here is how our fishermen are being oppressed in our own waters and us being deprived of our own resources. Don’t say we can’t do anything,” Gordon told dwIZ in Filipino.
The senator was referring to the familiar defeatist line of Duterte that the country cannot risk antagonizing Beijing while belittling the Philippines’ victory over China in the 2016 arbitral ruling.
“It can’t be that you only listen to what you want to hear or listen to only those you like. Just because you dislike some people, you don’t listen to them. You are President because of your judgment,” he said.
The NSC would give the country’s leaders a chance to get their act together and come up with a better and unified policy on dealing with China, he said.
Gordon also said the BCM is advantageous only to Beijing, which has always preferred to deal bilaterally with other South China Sea claimant nations.
He said Beijing knows very well that it would lose if it deals with the South China Sea row multilaterally. – Janvic Mateo, Paolo Romero