Philippine-China dispute to be discussed in 2+2 meeting

THE maritime impasse with China over Scarborough shoal will take center stage in the “2-Plus-2” meeting between the Philippine officials and their United States counterparts in Washington, D.C. on April 30.

In a press briefing, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez said that Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario will lead the Philippine delegation, which is also composed of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Armed Forces chief Jesse Dellosa.
The “2-Plus-2” meeting is the final step in scheduling President Benigno Aquino III’s visit to Washington either in late May or early June. During this assembly, the Philippine delegation will meet with their US counterparts, including Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, to discuss regional issues.

“The Scarborough shoal will be on the agenda during the ‘2-Plus-2’ meeting in Washington at the end of the month… I don’t know what role can the US play, but I think the US is also concerned about what is happening because of the freedom of navigation and the unimpeded commerce that could be affected if this whole issue, and what China is doing there would affect this two issues,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said the Scarborough issue was not originally included in the US agenda because it was not firmed up until the last minute.

Asked what the Philippines may want from the US in including the shoal issue in the agenda, he said the DFA secretary simply thought of “apprising the US of what is happening the Scarborough shoal issue.”

Responding to a question on whether the DFA was hoping that the impasse will be broken with the mediation of the US, Hernandez said the government is still committed to resolving the issue through our discussions with the Chinese side.

Del Rosario told ANC that the Philippines will reiterate its position of pursuing a legal track to end the standoff by bringing the matter before the attention of the Itlos, despite an apparent rejection of China of such tack.

He said that during his briefings with the Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi and Chinese vice president Xi JinPing last week, he was given the impression that China wanted to resolve the matter bilaterally. Since then, he said, no further discussions took place between China and the Philippines.

“The response I received was that, ‘We should undertake to settle this bilaterally, and not use a settlement mechanism, let’s not go the legal way; let’s do this the friendly way.’ So effectively, they said no to our suggestion that we take it to an international arbitration,” he said.

China is rejecting the arbitration track because their arguments of historical claim over the shoal would not hold water before the Itlos.

Del Rosario said other nations should be paying attention as to what is happening in the West Philippine Sea because of the message that China is sending to the region.
“The bigger picture is that anybody can be targeted. What’s the message? The message is: I can set the rules for anybody,” he said.

The DFA secretary said that if the issue further escalates, then the Philippines would consider bringing the matter before the UN general assembly.

He said the country will stand up for its sovereignty. “We have no intention of leaving. We will leave when we are ready to leave, not because we are told to leave.”

Hernandez, during the DFA briefing, said the Philippines is prepared to raise its sovereign claim over the shoal before the Itlos unilaterally if Beijing refuses to accept Manila’s invitation for arbitration. Under this forum, China would be compelled to categorically state its territory, which would then be verified by the international body.

The DFA spokesperson also said that Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing was less than truthful when she relayed to Beijing about the Philippines agreeing to withdraw its Coastguard patrol ship from Scarborough when no such agreement was ever reached during her last talk with Del Roasario last April 16.

“There was no such agreement. That was still being discussed. There was also no agreement on the poaching of the Chinese fishing ships which illegally collected big amounts of endangered species in the area,” said Hernandez.

The agreement between the two officials was for “no actions that would tend to escalate the situation,” he added.

Also during the press briefing, Hernandez said that three Chinese fishing vessels were spotted inside the lagoon, with one Chinese surveillance ship standing guard. The fishing vessels were the same ones seen on April 8 that triggered the standoff with the Philippine Navy warship BRP Gregorio del Pilar.

On Sunday, four Chinese fishing vessels and two Chinese government ships were in the area.

The lone Philippine Coast Guard cutter BRP Pampanga is still monitoring the activities in the area, including poaching and other activities deemed illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) and the Philippines’ own Fisheries Code, said Hernandez.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2012/04/23/philippine-china-dispute-be-discussed-22-meeting-217801
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