Exclusive | China-Philippines oil and gas exploration deal for South China Sea ‘near’
The Philippine Foreign Secretary Cayetano reveals during Hong Kong trip that Beijing and Manila have accepted each other’s ‘red lines’ regarding sovereignty claims
In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, the Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said that a solid guarantee from China that it would not build new installations on Scarborough Shoal – a rocky outcrop claimed by both Beijing and Manila – formed the basis of the cooperation between the two neighbours.
“We separate the two [issues]... China drew some red lines. We drew some red lines. Our red line is building in uninhabited areas including Scarborough,” Cayetano said.
The top Philippine diplomat said the start of exploration efforts was “quite near” and contingent on China agreeing to a legal framework on the process, following the set-up in February of a special panel on the technical details of the venture.