The Philippines and China sought Tuesday to deescalate and manage disputes in the West Philippine Sea amid the spike of violent confrontations between the two sides, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
In a statement, the DFA said a bilateral meeting was held in Manila—the second for this year since January 17—where both sides discussed the situation in the disputed waters, including the June 17 incident where Chinese Coast Guard vessels rammed Philippine vessels, seized firearms and rubber boats, and threatened Filipino soldiers with knives, axe and spears to stop them from delivering food supplies, firearms and other necessities to Filipino troops at the Second Thomas Shoal.
It was the most violent Chinese action against the Philippines, which triggered condemnation and alarm from several countries led by its treaty ally, the United States.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong “had frank and constructive discussions on the situation in the South China Sea,” the DFA said.
“Noting recent incidents in the South China Sea, both sides recognized that there is a need to restore trust, rebuild confidence, and create conditions conducive to productive dialogue and interaction,” the department said.
“The two sides discussed their respective positions on Ayungin Shoal and affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions,” it added.
While there was “substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea,” the DFA said “significant differences remain.”
However, both sides agreed to continue discussions “to find a mutually-acceptable resolution to the issues.” — VDV, GMA Integrated News
