Bilateral Talks
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Philippines rejects bilateral talks with China anew
MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang yesterday rejected China’s renewed offer of bilateral talks to settle the West Philippine Sea dispute, saying only by engaging other members of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) can any negotiation on the issue be acceptable. “The Philippine position is clear: the principle of ASEAN centrality should be recognized in accordance […]
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Palace insists all bilateral means to solve sea row exhausted
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has exhausted all bilateral means to find solutions to the West Philippine Sea dispute and could not be accused of provoking China to go into massive reclamation activities, Malacañang said yesterday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the country has always acted accordingly in addressing the territorial dispute. “We have […]
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China’s ‘impossible’ demands reason why PHL refuses bilateral talks – DFA
China’s ‘impossible’ demands reason why PHL refuses bilateral talks – DFA By CEDRIC CASTILLO, GMA News June 11, 2015 9:20pm Tags: Department of Foreign Affairs Amid reports that China has suggested anew a bilateral form of negotiation to settle territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday dismissed […]
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PH’s arbitration case vs China shows options in sea row
MANILA, Philippines – By turning to international arbitration to define its maritime entitlements in the South China Sea, Manila has shown there are options to resolve territorial disputes other than lopsided negotiations where mighty nations lord over small ones. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Cuisia Jr. voiced the observation in a speech during […]
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‘Arbitration, better ties can go together’
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines does not see the need to withdraw its case before the international arbitral tribunal against China to move its relations with Beijing forward, Malacañang said yesterday. At the same time, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told a press briefing that the country would stick to the multilateral approach in resolving its […]
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China offers ASEAN friendship, loans as South China Sea tension bubbles
(Reuters) – China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang proposed a friendship treaty with Southeast Asian countries and offered $20 billion in loans on Thursday but held firm on the line that Beijing will only settle South China Sea disputes directly with other claimants. China, Taiwan and four members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) […]
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China looks to next PH govt for improved relations
The Chinese government does not see better relations with the Philippines under President Benigno Aquino III, saying it would rather wait for the next administration in 2016 amid territorial disputes in the region. Wu Shicun Top South China Sea expert Wu Shicun said the mainland will not abide by any decision of the United Nations […]
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Converging Interests: Hanoi and Manila Confront Leviathan
“They were really unprepared for that and were really embarrassed by it,” one of Vietnam’s top experts on Chinese diplomacy told me during my recent visit to Hanoi, referring to the Philippines’ bringing its case against China’s aggressive illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal. This confirmed my assessment […]