MANILA, July 4 – The Philippines and China agreed on Tuesday to “de-escalate tensions” in the South China Sea following a tense standoff last month at a disputed shoal, Philippine officials said after both sides held bilateral talks on the waterway.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong behind closed doors in Manila for the 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The two sides “had a frank and constructive discussion on the situation in the South China Sea,” the statement said, adding that both “affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions.”
Lazaro, however, told Chen that Manila would remain “relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea,” the statement said, using Manila’s name for South China Sea waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Both sides “affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions,” the statement also said.
Lazaro and Chen, who headed their respective delegations at the talks in Makati, Manila’s financial district, committed to implementing a “maritime communication mechanism” between their countries’ coast guards and to form a joint committee to discuss such incidents, according to the statement.
It gave no further details on this point, and the two senior diplomats did not hold a joint press conference after their meeting. Similar agreements in the past to set up a South China Sea “hotline” to quickly address bilateral problems as they arise have not been effective.
“There was substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but significant differences remain,” the statement said.
