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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe have reaffirmed the commitment of the Philippines and China to seek peace and stability in the disputed South China Sea, Malacañang said.
Duterte met with Wei, who also serves as China’s State Councilor, during a courtesy visit to the chief executive in Malacañang on Friday.
In a statement, the Palace said Duterte told Wei that the South China Sea disputes must be resolved using international law, including a treaty used as the basis for a 2016 ruling that refuted China’s claims in the area.
“We must always be guided by our commitments in international law. Each and every dispute must be resolved peacefully in accordance with the Unclos (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and all relevant international instruments, ”Duterte told Wei.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration confirmed the sovereign rights of the Philippines over its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, rejecting China’s historic claim on resources in the South China Sea using its nine-dash line doctrine.
The Hague-based court issued its ruling based on the Unclos, an international treaty that “establishes a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and seas, establishing rules that govern all uses of the oceans and their resources.” .
China, however, continues to ignore the historic failure.
At the same meeting, the President stressed the importance of concluding an effective and substantive Code of Conduct, saying that its completion would be an important and lasting legacy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China to ensure peace, security and stability in the area.
While highlighting the strategic importance of the South China Sea as a vital sea lane where freedoms of navigation and other freedoms are guaranteed under international law, Duterte emphasized that “all relevant stakeholders who have an interest there must see themselves as playing an important stabilizing role. “
Wei, for his part, thanked Duterte and “conveyed the importance with which President Xi Jinping and China agree on relations with President Duterte and the Philippines.”
The Chinese Defense Minister also expressed his willingness to work with the Philippines on “maritime cooperation, advance negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and manage differences to ensure peace and stability in the China Sea. Southern”.
Wei’s visit came as the country opposed China’s continued aggression in the Western Philippine Sea, which is located in the eastern parts of the South China Sea. His visit to Manila is part of his tour of the Asean countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.
Meanwhile, the Palace said Duterte appreciated the positive developments in defense and security cooperation between the Philippines and China.
He acknowledged China’s continued support for the modernization of the Philippine defense since 2017.
The President, in particular, cited the signing of the “Protocol between the Department of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China on the provision of free military assistance from China to the Philippines.”
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