Philippines seeks formal talks with China
Print Edition
THE Philippines special envoy to China, Fidel Ramos, said yesterday his country wants formal discussions with China to explore pathways to peace and cooperation after a meeting with former Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Fu Ying.
Ramos was speaking near the end of a trip to Hong Kong undertaken in an attempt to rekindle ties with China, which have been soured by a maritime dispute in the South China Sea.
In a statement signed by Ramos and Fu, they said their “informal discussions focused on the need to engage in further talks to build trust and confidence to reduce tensions to pave the way for overall cooperation.”
The statement added that China welcomes Ramos to visit Beijing at some point as the special envoy of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who took office in June and has signaled a greater willingness to engage with China than his predecessor.
“It’s not really a breakthrough in a sense that there is no ice here in Hong Kong to break but the fish we eat are cooked in delicious recipes,” Ramos told reporters, having earlier referred to his visit as a fishing expedition.
Ramos, a longtime advocate of closer Philippine-Chinese ties, also met with Wu Shichun, president of China’s National Institute of South China Seas Studies.
The statement listed seven topics that had been covered, including marine preservation and co-operation on crime-fighting and smuggling.
Ramos said they had not discussed territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but had talked about fishing rights there.
“They discussed, in their private capacity, the way forward in the spirit of universal brotherhood and sisterhood for peace and cooperation between the two countries,” the joint statement said.
It added that all parties “looked forward” to the start of formal talks which it said would be continued in Beijing and Manila.
Ramos said there would be a second round of discussions soon.
“As to where this will take place we don’t know yet. We have to go back to Manila to find out the latest developments on the official side,” he said.
Philippine-Chinese ties have frayed in recent years due to the maritime dispute.
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