RP and China to hold talks on Spratlys

RP and China to hold talks on Spratlys

MANILA (AFP): Philippine and Chinese diplomats are to hold
talks next month on the disputed Spratly islands, Chinese embassy
spokesman Zhang Tiegen said here yesterday.

The meeting has been scheduled for Aug. 6 to 9 but did not say
where the discussions will be held. The two sides last met in
Beijing in March.

"The Spratlys problem is temporary and we are confident we can
resolve it through friendly negotiations," Chinese ambassador to
the Philippines Guan Dengming said.

China is the most powerful claimant to the Spratlys militarily
while the Philippines has the weakest air force and navy to
enforce its claims.

The other claimants to the South China Sea island chain are
Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. The Spratlys are believed
to be rich in oil deposits and straddle vital international
shipping lanes as well one of Asia's richest fishing grounds.

All except Brunei have stationed troops in the area, seen by
many analysts as a potential flashpoint for armed conflict in the
region.

The Philippines last February exposed the construction of
permanent Chinese structures on Mischief Reef, claimed by Manila
but guarded by at least one Chinese warship, sparking a
diplomatic row with Beijing.

Tension escalated when the Philippines blasted Chinese markers
erected on unguarded shoals around Mischief Reef, detained 62
Chinese fishermen poaching in the area and sponsored a media trip
there.