Aquino: PH relationship with China ‘improving’

Natashya Gutierrez

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Aquino: PH relationship with China ‘improving’
'Improving' ties with China will not deter President Benigno Aquino III from raising China's recent actions in the South China Sea at the ASEAN Summit in November

MANILA, Philippines – The overall relationship between China and the Philippines is improving – excluding its maritime dispute over territories in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), President Benigno Aquino III said on Wednesday, October 22.

Responding to questions in a forum with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), Aquino said the relationship between the countries is “roughly the same” but has improved overall.

“[Our relationship] in most facets – excluding our different positions on who is entitled to what in the sea known by many names – is I think improving and hopefully we can really move forward with that Code of Conduct, with China as an active participant so we can introduce a regime of liability based on rules that everybody acknowledges we are bound to,” he said.

In May, Aquino pushed for the finalization of a binding Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) at the ASEAN Summit

The Philippines has a maritime dispute with China in the South China Sea. Other ASEAN countries like Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei are also claimants in the disputed area, along with Taiwan.

On March 29, the Philippines submitted a nearly 4,000-page document, called a memorial, in a bid to end what it considered decades of bullying by China. China however has refused to acknowledge the designated arbitral tribunal’s jurisdiction to hear the case.

Aquino said he plans to bring up China’s recent actions in the disputed waters – including  the sighting of two Chinese hydrographic ships in the potentially oil-rich Recto (Reed) Bank in the West Philippine Sea – when he goes to the ASEAN Summit in Myanmar in November. The President said he will also ask for updates from regional leaders on the progress of the DOC.

That same week, Aquino is scheduled to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit in Beijing where he is expected to have bilateral meetings with other leaders at the sidelines of the meeting.

He indicated that he is not likely to have a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart.

“Now, in APEC, wherein we will be meeting in November, I have scheduled bilateral talks with various other countries. The Chinese side does not ask for a bilateral talk; the Philippine side does not also ask for it. Both of us, I guess, and I am hopeful, are looking for a solution that can be win-win,” he said, adding that China will be busy as APEC host.

Despite this, the President said the government is “trying to keep the lines of communication open.”

“Even on the ground, the Chinese ambassador and our Secretary of Foreign Affairs amongst others keep on dialoguing. There are certain quarters that are being said that they are being tasked to be a backchannel also,” he said.

“Our representatives or our ambassador, in fact, in Beijing is actively fulfilling our mission.”

No backing out

While Aquino said talks are ongoing however, he emphasized that the Philippines will stick with its plan to pursue a peaceful resolution to the problem.

“At the end of the day, our position is preserving the status quo doesn’t do anybody any benefit, that’s why we entered the arbitral proceedings and that’s why we are pushing for the Code of Conduct,” he said.

Aquino added, “To back off from the two, will just exacerbate the problems that we are seeing in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea.”

Responding to questions, the President also acknowledged that China may only be waiting for his term to end in 2016 before forming better relations with the Philippines, but he said he does not foresee his successor – whoever it may be – to concede to China.

“That might be the case, but at the end of the day, the fundamental question is: there are 9 dashes intruding on our exclusive economic zone. Will any successor of mine say, Okay, please take this portion of the Philippines and please take that portion of the Philippines.’ I don’t think any successor who wishes to remain in office will take that route,” he said.

“So you can bury your head in the sand, but at the end of the day, it’s still a problem. And, I guess, the focus is to achieve a solution through peaceful means bound by international law to everybody’s benefit.” Rappler.com

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Natashya Gutierrez

Natashya is President of Rappler. Among the pioneers of Rappler, she is an award-winning multimedia journalist and was also former editor-in-chief of Vice News Asia-Pacific. Gutierrez was named one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders for 2023.