Sea row with China to take backseat in Apec meetings, says Aquino

Economic issues and not territorial disputes involving China will be at the forefront of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings in the Philippines, President Benigno Aquino III said on Tuesday.

Aquino said Apec member countries will be interested about the developments in China as a major economic player in the world.

“China is a major economic player, and as far as the things that are happening in China currently, I’m sure all the other member countries, including the observing countries we will be inviting, will be curious to know what the plans of China are with regards to issues like the stock market, among other things–if there is tension with the so-called property bubble, the valuation of the Yuan, and so on and so forth,” Aquino said.

“But we will be tackling mostly – it’s an economic conference, so economic issues will be at the forefront,” he added.

Asked if the Philippine government will bring up the country’s case against China over the disputed West Philippine Sea during the Apec meetings, Aquino said it would be proper to wait for the decision of the United Nations arbitral tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.

“I think we have already stated our positions through various fora. So, again, we will stress on the economy–economic issues–and, specifically, China’s major role in the world economy and things that are happening in the domestic scene as it impacts the rest of the world’s economy,” Aquino said.

The Third Apec Senior Officials’ Meeting is currently ongoing in Cebu. Yuji Vincent Gonzales