Malacañang hails Xi, China for efforts to bring peace, stability in region

Malacañang on Monday hailed China’s “continued efforts” to promote peace and stability in the region despite allegations that Beijing is stoking tensions with rival claimants and major powers in connection with the South China Sea dispute.

The Palace issued the statement ahead of the inaugural state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Philippines set for Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We laud President Xi for China’s continued efforts to promote peace and stability in our region, through dialogues and consultations in handling the South China Sea issue, as we share his aspiration to bring our nations’ relationship to a higher level of collaboration,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

“Indeed, amity solves international disputes and even forges a more powerful alliance between both countries against threats to security, including terrorism, violent extremism, criminality, and the drug menace,” he added.

Panelo also said Xi’s visit to the Philippines “marks an opportunity to further strengthen and sustain our bilateral relations with the foreign country, which surged forward under the visionary leadership” of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“The Philippines and China’s shared hopes for their citizens continue to pave the way for closer bonds between the two nations,” he said.

“Owing to President Duterte’s cautious, pragmatic and diplomatic yet independent foreign policy, we anticipate more opportunities to forge better cooperation and friendship with China.”

Beijing continued to face scrutiny and criticism over its reported deployment of military aircraft and installation of anti-ship cruise missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and weather observation facilities on its artificial islands in the South China Sea.

China, however, has repeatedly insisted on its “indisputable sovereignty” over 90 percent of the South China Sea. It has also refused to honor The Hague-based arbitral tribunal ruling in 2016 that invalidated its excessive claims following a case filed by the Philippines.

Contrary to his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, Duterte made friendly overtures to China and even confessed his “love” for Xi during a press conference before leaving for China to attend the Boao Forum for Asia in April.

Duterte’s decision to temporarily set aside the country's arbitration victory has led to improved Manila’s relations with Beijing but angered critics that accused him of kowtowing to China.

The Philippines is currently the dialogue coordinator between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which are negotiating for a conduct of conduct which aims to prevent conflicting territorial claims in the resource rich waters from erupting into violent confrontations or worse, an economically-devastating major conflict.

At the ASEAN-China Summit in Singapore last week, Duterte delivered a common statement in which both parties vowed “full and effective implementation” of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the “expeditious conclusion of an effective” COC.

ASEAN and China also said they expect an initial review of the draft negotiating text for the COC to happen next year.

Duterte, however, warned the United States and its allies against creating “frictions” that could provoke Beijing, saying China was “already in possession" of the South China Sea. —NB, GMA News