Spratlys shooting not a threat: Chief

Spratlys shooting not a threat: Chief

MANILA (AFP): The Philippines does not see an immediate threat of armed clashes in the South China Sea over the Spratly islands, armed forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes said on Sunday.

Reyes stressed the six countries which claim all or some of the Spratlys -- Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam -- were constantly communicating with each other to prevent any incidents in the potentially oil-rich chain of islands.

The military chief acknowledged that, among the six, Manila was least capable of defending its territorial claims.

Reyes' comments came after China, in a summit with East Asian leaders here, last month junked a Philippine-drafted "code of conduct" designed to contain potential conflict in the area.

The code is aimed at easing tensions in the Spratlys, which rose earlier this year following a series of shooting incidents involving Philippine, Malaysian and Vietnamese troops.