Phl, China see peaceful resolution of Spratly dispute

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines and China see eye to eye on territorial issues as both countries are committed to peaceful resolution of the dispute over potentially oil rich areas in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea, President Aquino said yesterday.

“We are concentrating actually on areas where we really can cooperate and we do see eye to eye and try to minimize any conflicts that can possibly happen,” Aquino said during the ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum in Makati City Thursday night.

He said that after raising the issue before Chinese leaders during his recent state visit to China, they agreed that warm relations between the two countries “stretch back centuries” and should not be set aside.

“The South China Sea or what we call the West Philippine Sea issue, has to be resolved but at the same time, when I talked to President Hu Jintao, Premiere Wen Jiabao and others, we did agree that this is not the sum total of our relationship,” the President said.

He said that just by talking, world leaders can thresh out ways to settle differences and discover their common goals and advocacies.

He said that as neighbors, other issues such as global warming and piracy affect the two countries “but we have chosen to focus on that which is mutually supportive and beneficial to us.”

The President also pointed out the Luneta hostage crisis last year turned out to be an “exemplar” of what could be achieved through dialogue.

In Zamboanga City, Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said there have been no foreign incursions in the West Philippine Sea since the deployment of the  BRP Gregorio del Pilar.

“It’s a good indication now everybody in the world knows where we stand,” Pama said. – With Jaime Laude