China opposes United Nations' role in settling Spratlys dispute
China opposes United Nations' role in settling Spratlys dispute
MANILA (AP): China wants to peacefully settle a dispute with
the Philippines over a reef in the Spratly Islands claimed by
both countries, but it is against any United Nations role in
solving the problem, a Chinese official said on Sunday.
Philippine officials and a Chinese delegation began meetings
on Sunday to resolve a dispute over the construction of Chinese
structures on Mischief Reef in the South China Sea's Spratly
Islands, which has strained diplomatic ties between the two
nations.
Last week, President Joseph Estrada discussed the Spratlys
dispute in a meeting with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New
York. Estrada said the UN chief said he would help find ways of
resolving the conflict peacefully.
Asked if China will allow the UN to play a role, Chinese
Assistant Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the two countries can
reach a settlement by themselves.
"We have long believed that our two countries shall settle
this question and problem through friendly consultations," Wang
told reporters. "I'm confident that our two countries have the
capability to settle this problem."
Although China prefers resolving the problem bilaterally, Wang
said they are open to a settlement based on international law,
including the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, which sets
certain marine territorial boundaries for nations.
The Philippines has been seeking international support to halt
what it says is China's expansion in the Spratlys archipelago, an
area that straddles one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
Wang met Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon at a
hotel in Manila on Sunday and will head a Chinese delegation that
will meet its Philippine counterparts on Monday and Tuesday.
Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja said Manila would
demand that China dismantle the structures on Mischief Reef in
the South China Sea. But he conceded it was unlikely that China
would agree.
Wang said China will not allow the dispute to harm diplomatic
relations it established with the Philippines in 1975. "China
will continue to pursue a friendly policy for the Philippines
and, whatever happens, this policy will remain unchanged," Wang
said.
The talks are the first since the dispute erupted in 1995
after China began building the structures on Mischief Reef, which
lies about 215 kilometers west of the Philippines.
Tensions escalated late last year after China began enlarging
the reef structures. The Chinese say they are simply storm
shelters for fishermen, but Philippine officials said they could
be used militarily.
In the Manila meeting, China and the Philippines are expected
to discuss a Chinese proposal to jointly use the structures on
Mischief Reef. Philippine officials have said they would agree to
that only if management authority over the structures is ceded to
Manila.
The Spratlys are believed to be rich in oil and minerals, but
the conflicting claims have prevented exploration. Aside from
China and the Philippines, the area is also being contested by
Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.