RP urges closer Spratly links

RP urges closer Spratly links

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.