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.