China, RP vow to settle Spratlys

China, RP vow to settle Spratlys

BEIJING (AFP): Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen promised his Philippine counterpart, Domingo Saizon, here yesterday that the sovereignty of the disputed Spratly islands would be settled by peaceful means, Xinhua reported.

Saizon in turn praised Beijing's relations with Manila, which have been improving steadily since a flare-up last year over a number of Chinese structures on Spratly islands claimed by the Philippines.

Regional tensions rose sharply in early 1995 when Manila discovered Chinese installations -- alleged to be naval -- on a number of atolls in the Spratlys chain, which is claimed either in whole or part by Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines and China.