China to PH: Stop infringement, stabilize ties 'from further deterioration'

China has called on the Philippines to stop "maritime infringement" and move towards stabilizing their relations and protect these from "further deterioration."

Beijing made the call during Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong's meeting with Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro at the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM) in Manila.

During the talk, China reiterated its sovereignty over Ren'ai Jiao, Beijing's name for Ayungin Shoal, and "the adjacent waters, and its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters."

"The Chinese side urges the Philippine side to stop maritime infringement and provocation at once, earnestly abide by the provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), return to the right track of properly handling disputes through dialogue and consultation, jointly manage the situation at Ren'ai Jiao with the Chinese side, promote the easing and cooling down of the maritime situation, and stabilize China-Philippines relations from further deterioration," China Foreign Ministry said in a readout.

It added that the two sides have agreed to continue to maintain dialogue and consultation through the BCM and other mechanisms to handle differences and disagreements.

Both countries, China said, also had an exchange on improving the maritime communication mechanism, promoting the dialogue between the coast guards of the two countries, and advancing cooperation in marine science and technology and environmental protection, among other fields.

GMA News Online has sought comment from Malacañang and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) regarding the China Foreign Ministry readout.

'Need to restore confidence'

In a statement on Tuesday, the DFA said that the June 17 incident, where Chinese Coast Guard vessels rammed Philippine vessels and threatened Filipino soldiers with knives, axe and spears, was also discussed during the meeting.

The DFA had said Lazaro and Chen "had frank and constructive discussions on the situation in the South China Sea."

"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."

'Relentless'

The June 17 incident triggered condemnation and alarm from several countries, including Philippines' ally, the United States.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and other officials protested the Chinese assault, calling it "deliberate and illegal."

During the bilateral meeting, the DFA said, Lazaro told her counterpart that the Philippines "will be relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea" — Manila's name for parts of the South China Sea that falls within its jurisdiction.

To prevent miscommunication and confrontation at sea, the DFA said the two sides signed an Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms and agreed to discuss further how to operationalize this mechanism.

They also agreed to continue discussions on the possible resumption of the Joint Coast Guard Committee (JCGC) between the Philippines and China and proposed to hold an academic forum among Filipino and Chinese scientists and academics on marine scientific and technological cooperation.

"Both sides agreed that continued dialogue on the basis of mutual respect as two equal sovereign states facilitates peace and stability at sea, and committed to having the 10th BCM in China to sustain the positive momentum on discussions," the DFA said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News