‘Philippines, China still close friends despite Spratlys’

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday brushed aside media reports about worsening relations with China, stressing that the West Philippine Sea dispute was “not the sum total of Philippines-China relations”.

The Philippines and China are “still close friends” despite the territorial dispute over the Spratly group of islets, said DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez.

“We have deep and broad relations with China, and we are committed to raise this to the next higher level,” he said.

He said the Philippine government was “committed to resolving (the Spratlys conflict) through a peaceful, diplomatic and rules-based approach, and to keeping the communication lines with China open.”

36 years of ties

Hernandez pointed out “the 36 years of diplomatic relations with China have benefited both our countries and peoples.”

“We are further enhancing cooperation in trade, investments, tourism, education, agriculture, fisheries, science and technology, defense, infrastructure development, food safety, cooperation versus transnational crimes, and people-to-people exchange, among others,” he added.

Hernandez’s counterpart at the Chinese Embassy said he had “not seen that trend,” referring to reports of a deepening rift between the two countries.

“And I’m sure that this is definitely not the thing that our two countries and peoples would like to see,” said Ethan Y. Sun, the Chinese embassy spokesperson.

President Aquino visit

Earlier this month, Hernandez expressed confidence that relations with China would improve with President Aquino’s forthcoming state visit to Beijing.

Mr. Aquino is scheduled to visit China in late August or early September.

In his state of the nation address (Sona) the other day, the President declared that the Philippines was ready to use military force to protect “what is ours” in the West Philippine Sea.

Mr. Aquino said the Philippines would no longer allow other countries to impose their will over it.

He said his administration was sending a message to the world by upgrading the country’s poorly equipped Armed Forces, including acquiring a new navy ship and weapons.

Spratlys tension

The Philippines earlier accused Chinese forces of harassing a Philippine government-commissioned oil exploration vessel near the Recto Bank in March and shooting at Filipino fishermen and placing markers on some of the Spratly islets claimed by Manila.

These, among other incidents, have triggered a dramatic rise in bilateral tensions.

In his Sona, Mr. Aquino said the Philippines was considering elevating the West Philippine Sea dispute to the Hamburg-based International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea

But he said he hoped the Spratlys conflict would not result in an armed confrontation among rival claimants.

Aside from the Philippines and China, four other countries—Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan—have overlapping claims to all or parts of the West Philippine Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits.