WORLD NEWS | Fri Aug 12, 2016 12:54am EDT
Philippines seeks formal talks with China amid South China Sea tensions: Ramos
Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos gestures as he speaks to journalists during a trip to Hong Kong, China after the Hague court's ruling over the maritime dispute in South China Sea, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos gestures as he speaks to journalists during a trip to Hong Kong, China after the Hague court's ruling over the maritime dispute in South China Sea, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
By Venus Wu | HONG KONG
The Philippines special envoy to China, Fidel Ramos, said on Friday that Manila wants formal discussions with China to explore pathways to peace and cooperation after a meeting with former Chinese deputy foreign minister Fu Ying.
Ramos was speaking near the end of a trip to Hong Kong undertaken in an attempt to rekindle ties with China, which have been soured by a maritime dispute in the South China Sea.
In a statement signed by Ramos and Fu, they said their "informal discussions focused on the need to engage in further talks to build trust and confidence to reduce tensions to pave the way for overall cooperation."
The statement added that China welcomes Ramos to visit Beijing at some point as the special envoy of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who took office in June and has signalled a greater willingness to engage with China than his predecessor.
"It's not really a breakthrough in a sense that there is no ice here in Hong Kong to break but the fish we eat... are cooked in delicious recipes," Ramos told reporters, having earlier referred to his visit as a fishing expedition.
An arbitration court in the Hague ruled on July 12 that China had no historic title over the busy waterway and had breached the Philippines' sovereign rights there. The decision infuriated Beijing, which dismissed the court's authority to rule on the matter.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims in the sea, believed to be rich in energy deposits.
The statement added that both Beijing and Manila would seek to promote fishing cooperation, marine preservation, and tourism though it made no specific mention of the South China Sea or the ruling. No time frame was given for possible talks.
Ramos said neither side asserted their own sovereignty over disputed areas in the South China Sea such as the Scarborough Shoal and Mischief Reef.
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"There was no discussion on that particular aspect except to mention equal fishing rights," said Ramos.
The statement said the discussions were carried out in a private capacity, and Ramos said later other back channel discussions with China were underway.
China seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012, denying Philippine fishermen access. This was among the factors that prompted Manila to seek arbitration.
Ramos was Philippines president from 1992 to 1998, when China occupied the submerged Mischief Reef.
(Reporting by Venus Wu; Writing by James Pomfret; Editing by Paul Tait and Christian Schmollinger)
