Marcos urges PH gov’t anew to engage in bilateral talks with China on disputed sea

Sen. Bongbong Marcos Jr. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday urged our country’s government anew to engage in bilateral talks with China amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

“In my opinion, and this has been my stand ever since, we should talk to China and tell them what we want and that we are not in favor of what they are doing and start from there. What is important is we start a dialogue,” he said in a statement.

READ: Philippines spots suspected Chinese ships at disputed atoll

Marcos had repeatedly pushed for bilateral talks with China in the past and suggested that it is not necessary to be formal.

“It may be government to government or informal. It may also be through business, our businessmen can help or we may start a cultural or educational exchange,” he said.

For instance, the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. said that the tensions between the United States and China in the 1970s ended through a game of ping-pong.

“No one thought that the diplomatic tension could end through a game of ping-ping. So all peaceful methods should be pursued, formally or informally, government to government, private sector, educational sector, cultural, sports. Let’s all give it a try. We would not know if it will work unless we give it a try,” he said.

Marcos’ statement comes amid fresh reports of China taking over a Philippine-claimed atoll in the Spratlys. Quirino Atoll was reportedly surrounded by Chinese ships and has kept out local fishermen from going there.

READ: DFA, AFP verifying report China has taken over atoll near Palawan

The senator said that the government need not pin its efforts on the upcoming ruling of the arbitration court over the sea row because China had refused to participate in it.

“It is important that we hold talks. We may not be able to do it in one sitting, the process may be long but what is important is we start the dialogue. It is the only way,” he said.

Marcos cited the Philippine-Indonesia maritime baseline agreement as a guide “to lessen the pressure.”

“The valuable experience we had in conducting years of negotiation with Indonesia provides us with a roadmap on how to resolve our maritime territorial dispute with other countries, particularly the one with China in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

The agreement was signed in 2014 during the state visit of His Excellency Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Such was a result of 20 years of negotiation to delimit the overlapping exclusive economic zone of the two countries. RAM

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