25-6-2024 (MANILA) Amidst the intricate geopolitical landscape of the South China Sea, the Philippines is making concerted efforts to bring China back to the negotiating table, aiming to resolve long-standing differences in the contested waters. This determination was underscored by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo during a Senate inquiry on Tuesday.
According to Manalo, the two countries held a working group meeting last week, paving the way for a potential Bilateral Consultation Mechanism meeting scheduled for July. This development signifies a renewed push to address the complex maritime disputes that have strained relations between the two nations.
“Whatever confidence-building measures we achieve, they will be not at the expense of promotion of our sovereignty, sovereign rights, as well as our rights and jurisdiction on the West Philippine Sea,” Manalo assured the Senate, employing the term used by the Philippines to refer to the portion of the South China Sea it claims.
The South China Sea, a strategically vital waterway, has been at the center of a long-standing territorial dispute involving multiple nations. China’s sweeping claims over almost the entire region, delineated by its controversial “nine-dash line,” overlap with the exclusive economic zones of rival claimants, including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
In a significant development in 2016, an arbitral tribunal ruling invalidated China’s expansive claims in the strategic waters, a verdict that Beijing has persistently refused to recognize.
The Philippines’ diplomatic efforts to resume talks with China come against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the region. Manalo’s assurances highlight the delicate balancing act the country must undertake as it seeks to uphold its sovereignty and maritime rights while also pursuing confidence-building measures and maintaining open channels of communication with its powerful neighbor.
