China proposes new joint exploration talks

THE PHILIPPINES is expected to embark on a new series of talks for jointly exploring the South China Sea for oil and gas, following proposals from Beijing.

When asked about joint exploration activities, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo said: “They were proposing that we begin talks again on oil and gas.”

“I think we will begin in maybe around six weeks, but as I said at a technical level,” he added. “There’s no document yet.”

Maritime officers from both countries will meet, with discussions likely to revolve around the terms of reference, Mr. Manalo said.

“You will probably call it… exploratory or scoping, or setting the scope of the discussion. We’ll see where it goes,” he said.

“Definitely we’re open to talks but as I said, we’ll always be guided by the requirements of the Constitution,” he added.

At a House of Representatives hearing last year, Mr. Manalo said China was pushing for a 50-50% or 51-49% division rather than a 60-40% sharing agreement in favor of the Philippines.

It also sought to apply conditions in accordance with Chinese domestic law that were unacceptable to the Philippines.

For these reasons, “negotiations ended, and no agreement was reached,” Mr. Manalo said.

The South China Sea is subject to overlapping territorial claims involving China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan