The joint exploitation between China, the Philippines and
Vietnam in the South China Sea has yielded some results, and the
three countries should push for substantial progress in this
cooperation, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Monday.
The joint exploitation is conducive to maintaining peace and
stability in the South China Sea, and significant to enhancing
mutual trust and cooperation between the three countries, Wen told
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo on the sidelines of the
commemorative summit marking the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN
Dialogue Relations.
The three sides should continue to hold consultations over the
joint exploitation for the next phase so as to achieve substantial
outcomes, he stressed.
Arroyo said her country was satisfied with the development in
the three-nation joint exploitation and ready to continue the
cooperation with China and Vietnam.
Territorial disputes emerged between China, the Philippines,
Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia on the South China Sea since the
1970s, where each country claimed part of the sovereignty.
In November 2002, China and the 10-member Association of
Southeastern Asian Nation (ASEAN) adopted a Declaration on the
Conduct of Parties on the South China Sea, laying a political
foundation for possible commercial cooperation in the future
between China and ASEAN countries as well as the long-term peace
and stability in the region.
In March 2005, three oil companies from China, the Philippines
and Vietnam signed a landmark tripartite agreement in Manila to
jointly prospect oil and gas resources in the South China Sea.
On bilateral ties between China and the Philippines, Wen said
the relationship had never been better than today, with exchanges
and cooperation booming in various sectors.
China and the Philippines have selected agriculture,
infrastructure construction and mineral resources exploitation as
the top priorities for bilateral cooperation. China hopes that all
the cooperation agreements in these fields will be fully
implemented at an early date, he added.
Arroyo said relations between the Philippines and China had
entered a golden period with effective bilateral cooperation
unfolded in wide-ranging areas like politics, economy and trade,
and security.
She said the Philippine side felt grateful for China's support
and assistance to the Philippines' agriculture, railway
construction and housing projects, as well as its efforts to
counter natural disasters.
The Philippines hopes to forge a comprehensive economic
partnership accord with China as soon as possible, she said.
The Philippines also wishes to expand its fruit exports to
China, Arroyo added.
Arroyo arrived in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
Region, on Sunday to attend the China-ASEAN summit.
Two-way trade volume between China and the Philippines hit
US$17.6 billion in 2005, an increase of more than 30 percent from a
year earlier, making China the Philippines' fourth largest trading
partner.
(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2006)