Manila welcomes positive reports of China meeting

Manila: The presidential palace Saturday welcomed reports the Philippines and China had agreed to cooperate on ensuring peace in a disputed offshore territory claimed by both countries.

In an interview aired over government radio station dzRB, spokesperson Abigail Valte said the palace positively viewed reports the Philippines and China agreed to work together to ensure peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea, also known as the South China Sea, following the visit of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to China this week.

"That is a good development, because just like what Secretary del Rosario said, we should not let one issue get in the way of our good relations with China," Valte said yesterday.

"This is good because our position urges a peaceful and diplomatic resolution to the issue involving the Kalayaan Group of Islands [Spratlys]," she added as she referred to a number of islets and rocky outcrops jutting in the West Philippine Sea. The area around the islets are known to hold rich deposits of oil and natural gas.

It also straddles strategic sea lanes vital to the interests of several countries including China, Philippines, as well as certain members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations such as Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan, among others.

Meeting

Del Rosario visited Beijing from July 7 to 9 upon the invitation of the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. During the trip, the Philippine official also met with Vice President Xi Jinping. The two officials agreed that maintaining the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties would be for the best interest of both countries.

They also reviewed the progress of the Joint Action Plan for Strategic Cooperation signed on 29 October 2009. The joint action plan maps out strategic directions in cooperation over five years and covers the economy, politics, trade, investment and tourism.

Mullen in China

The top US military officer is travelling to China this weekend just as a multinational Navy exposition wraps up in neighbouring Brunei with a drill in the hotly contested South China Sea.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was expected to arrive in China Saturday for four days of meetings with Chinese officials and visits to military units in Beijing and along the eastern coast.

Mullen's arrival will coincide with what Pentagon officials called a low-level, routine communications drill about 9.6km off the coast of Brunei.

- With inputs from AP