China urges Philippine survey ship to leave island
Source: Xinhua/Shanghai Daily |
April 17, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA yesterday urged a Philippine archaeological ship to immediately leave waters off Huangyan Island in the South China Sea.
On Saturday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said a Chinese ship had "harassed" the Philippine-registered vessel conducting surveys near the island.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said, under relevant international conventions and Chinese laws, no organization or individual may conduct such activities in the area without the Chinese government's permission.
In Manila, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said yesterday he wouldn't risk a war over Huangyan Island, where the countries have been locked in a tense standoff. Aquino said Manila had pulled out a warship and replaced it with a coast guard vessel to "de-escalate the situation."
He told reporters the Philippines would continue talks with China to resolve the impasse which began last Tuesday when two Chinese ships prevented a Philippine warship from arresting several Chinese fishermen.
The fishermen left Huangyan over the weekend, but two Chinese maritime surveillance ships continued to face off with the Philippine coast guard vessel over which side should leave the uninhabited horseshoe-shaped island.
Aquino, paraphrasing the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, said, "It's better to jaw, jaw, jaw than to war, war, war."
Liu told reporters that the main cause of the dispute was the Philippines' infringement on China's sovereignty.
Meanwhile, nearly 7,000 American and Filipino troops began exercises yesterday that will include combat drills near South China Sea waters.
On Saturday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said a Chinese ship had "harassed" the Philippine-registered vessel conducting surveys near the island.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said, under relevant international conventions and Chinese laws, no organization or individual may conduct such activities in the area without the Chinese government's permission.
In Manila, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said yesterday he wouldn't risk a war over Huangyan Island, where the countries have been locked in a tense standoff. Aquino said Manila had pulled out a warship and replaced it with a coast guard vessel to "de-escalate the situation."
He told reporters the Philippines would continue talks with China to resolve the impasse which began last Tuesday when two Chinese ships prevented a Philippine warship from arresting several Chinese fishermen.
The fishermen left Huangyan over the weekend, but two Chinese maritime surveillance ships continued to face off with the Philippine coast guard vessel over which side should leave the uninhabited horseshoe-shaped island.
Aquino, paraphrasing the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, said, "It's better to jaw, jaw, jaw than to war, war, war."
Liu told reporters that the main cause of the dispute was the Philippines' infringement on China's sovereignty.
Meanwhile, nearly 7,000 American and Filipino troops began exercises yesterday that will include combat drills near South China Sea waters.
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