RP urges closer Spratly links

Tue, 03 Jun 1997, 00:00 WIB | Source: AFP

MANILA (AFP): The Philippines has proposed an exchange of
visits with China to military garrisons the two nations maintain
on disputed South China Sea islands, a Philippine official said
yesterday.

"That's one of the possibilities" proposed by Manila in annual
bilateral consultations held in Beijing last week, said Foreign
Undersecretary Rodolfo Severino.

He said the Chinese "found this interesting." The Philippines
and China are among six claimants to the strategically located
Spratly chain in the South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan
and Vietnam are the other claimants.

China has garrisoned nine islands, the Philippines eight,
Vietnam 31 and Taiwan one. Malaysia occupies several reefs while
Brunei claims only parts of the Spratlys' waters.

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