Duterte discusses Ukraine, West PH Sea issues with Xi during phone summit

FILE PHOTO. President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping.

MANILA, Philippines — Issues involving Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the standing row over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) were discussed during the telephone summit of President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jingping, Malacañang said on Friday.

In a statement, Malacañang said that both leaders agreed to ensure peace and stability in the contested waters and eventually push for a “mutually agreeable framework for functional cooperation” in the region long disputed by China, Philippines, and other Southeast Asian countries.

“Both leaders acknowledged that even while disputes existed, both sides remained committed to broaden the space for positive engagements which reflected the dynamic and multidimensional relations of the Philippines and China.

“President Duterte and President Xi likewise discussed global and regional developments,” Malacañang said.

“Both leaders reaffirmed the centrality of ASEAN and renewed the commitment to bring peace, progress and prosperity in the region. The two Presidents emphasized the importance of continuing discussions and concluding the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea,” it added.

Duterte and Xi likewise aired concerns about the invasion of Ukraine staged by Russia — a country considered as an ally of the two leaders.

“President Duterte and President Xi expressed deep concern over developments in other parts of the world, including in Ukraine. The two Presidents renewed the call for a peaceful resolution of the situation through dialogue in accordance with international law,” Malacañang said.

Both also saw the need to open the economy and borders amid the fight against COVID-19, agreeing that other countries should have access to the vaccines as well.

“Both Presidents acknowledged the importance of mutual support in the fight against the COVID-19 virus, including through making vaccines available to nations that most needed them, as crucial to global and regional economic bounce back,” Malacañang noted.

“The leaders committed to work even more closely to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed to explore constructive ways to jumpstart interaction and exchanges through, among others, mutual recognition of vaccine certificates, streamlining health protocols and resumption of commercial flights,” it added.

Aside from these issues, the Palace said that the two heads of state talked about the following topics:

• economic and infrastructure growth and cooperation including the Build, Build, Build program
• two way trade investments
• trade of goods and services
• climate change

“The leaders took stock of and reviewed Philippines and China ties over the last six years and described the trajectory of relations as one that is positive and created greater space for partnership and cooperation,” Malacañang said.

“Both leaders considered the elevation of Philippines-China bilateral relations into a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation as a milestone achievement that demonstrated the commitment of the Philippines and China to continue building on the gains of the previous years towards the future,” it added.

Relationship between China and the Philippines prospered under Duterte’s term, after the ties were strained by the past administration’s complaints against the Asian superpower for its intrusion in the WPS

Under the term of late former president Benigno Aquino III, the Philippines filed several diplomatic protests, including an arbitration case that was brought up to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

In 2016, the PCA decided that China’s nine-dash claim, which included most of the West Philippine Sea and the country’s exclusive economic zone, had no legal and historical basis.

READ: PH wins arbitration case over South China Sea 

But during the 2021 tensions between the two countries — when the the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea spotted over 200 Chinese maritime militia ships, not fishing vessels near the Julian Felipe Reef — Duterte said that the arbitral ruling is a mere piece of paper that can be thrown into the trash bin.

Such actions have led critics of Duterte to claim that the independent foreign policy of his administration is just a ruse to get close to China.

RELATED STORY
Duterte on PH court win over China: ‘That’s just paper; I’ll throw that in the wastebasket’ 

Chinese militia vessels still in West Philippine Sea – task force 

EDV