Amid territorial row, PHL-China years of friendly exchanges launched in Beijing

While the Philippines remained locked in a stalemate with China over the disputed Panatag (Scarborough) shoal in the West Philippine Sea (also South China Sea), Filipino and Chinese officials in Beijing launched the "2012-2013 Philippines-China Years of Friendly Exchanges (YFE)."
According to a news release of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the YFE, launched on April 11, promotes cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.   The Beijing launch, hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, came nearly a month after the Philippine launch of YFE last March 20. President Benigno Aquino III and Chinese President Hu Jintao designated 2012 and 2013 as the Philippines-China Years of Friendly Exchanges during Aquino's State Visit to China in August 2011. Stalemate remains at Panatag Shoal The standoff between Philippine and Chinese vessels at the Panatag Shoal began more than a week ago when Philippine Navy officials caught eight Chinese vessels allegedly poaching on waters near the shoal.   Before the Philippine Navy could arrest the fishermen, however, two Chinese maritime vessels blocked its path.   Following talks between Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario and Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing, the eight Chinese fishing vessels already left the area, but the marine species were not confiscated.   One of the Chinese surveillance ships initially left the area on Saturday, but returned to the shoal within a few hours.   Last week, President Benigno Aquino III directed Foreign Affairs officials to work towards peaceful solution to the dispute at the Panatag Shoal. On Monday, more than 4,000 American troops joined their Filipino counterparts for a series of military exercises, which Philippine government officials stressed are not meant to provoke China.   The Chinese embassy in Manila on Tuesday called on the Philippines to immediately pull out of Panatag Shoal an archaeological vessel conducting research in the disputed territory.   Chinese Embassy spokesperson Zhang Hua said the vessel, which Philippine officials earlier said came from Sarangani province, is conducting “illegal salvage archaeology” on an ancient Chinese shipwreck in the shoal.   “This infringes on China’s rights and violates relevant international conventions. These above activities by the Philippine side raised further grave concerns of the Chinese side on the situation there,” he said in a statement Wednesday.   He added that the Chinese government should have been consulted before the archaeological ship was allowed to conduct research in the shoal.   China claims Panatag Shoal (Chinese name: Huangyan Island) as part of its territory, saying the country first discovered the territory during the 13^th century under the Yuan Dynastry.   The Philippines, for its part, uses the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the basis for its claim on the shoal.   The international convention, of which China is also a signatory, places the disputed territory within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.   Last Monday, the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China after Chinese aircrafts allegedly “harassed” the Philippine-registered archaeological vessel.    Launching of Years of Friendly Exchanges   Meanwhile, those who represented the Philippines during the April 11 launch of the YFE were Reps. Al Francis Bichara as House foreign affairs committee chairman; Zenaida Angping as interparliamentary relations and diplomacy committee vice chairperson; and Julieta Cortuna, member of the foreign affairs committee, the DFA said.   DFA Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs Assistant Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Director Aileen Mendiola-Rau were also part of the delegation.   Last March 20, DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario led the Philippine launching of the YFE at the DFA head office in Pasay City.   In the Beijing launch, ranking Chinese officials led by former Chinese Foreign Minister of China and now National People's Congress foreign affairs committee chairman Li Zhaoxing, prominent Filipino and Chinese business personalities, and top academic and cultural figures attended the YFE reception-launch at the Peace Palace in Beijing.   Li noted the friendly ties between the two countries and highlighted the family ties that bind them, as shown by the Chinese ancestry of many prominent Filipinos as well as the birth in Quezon Province of General Ye Fei, one of China's most illustrious military heroes.   He also extolled the contribution of both sides over the past 37 years since they established formal diplomatic ties.   Former Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Wang Yingfan added he was honored to be the first president of the China-Philippines Friendship Association.   "I may not have Philippine blood but I consider myself half-Filipino because of my special feelings for the Philippines," he said.   For his part, Bichara said the YFE "is a clear demonstration of the two countries' commitment to further foster goodwill and build amity amidst the enduring friendship between the Philippines and China."   He described the relationship of the two countries as "Neighbors, friends, and partners."   For his part, Philippine charge d'affaires Alex Chua said the Philippines and China have been steadfast friends over centuries.   "This friendship is one which has survived the upheavals of revolutions and wars of liberation, and will transcend the vagaries of time and circumstance," he said.   Chua added the YFE will remind future generations of the long-shared history of the Philippines and China.   Activities will be undertaken over the next two years to cultivate cultural and people-to-people exchanges, tourism cooperation, party-to-party contacts, and exchanges between government officials, legislators, the youth, entrepreneurs, educators, media practitioners, artists, and athletes.   Before the official launch of the YFE, the Philippine delegation met with key members of the Filipino community in Beijing and visited the State Grid of China, which has invested US$ 3.2 billion in the Philippines since 2009 to upgrade the national grid of the Philippines.  - with a report from Andreo Calonzo, VVP, GMA News