China and Philippines agree on new channels to resolve South China Sea maritime disputes among their 14 new deals
- After Xi-Marcos meeting, a joint statement says maritime issues do not comprise the ‘sum-total’ of relations between China and the Philippines
- Philippine president says he and Xi discussed how to avoid ‘misunderstandings that could trigger a bigger problem than what we already have’
Analysts said the meeting yielded positive outcomes, but obstacles remained given that previous “proclamations of good intentions” had not resolved territorial disputes.
It reiterates Manila’s earlier comment that “maritime issues don’t define the totality of our relationship with China”.
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“Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the region and the freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea, and reached consensus on the peaceful resolution of disputes on the basis of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Thursday’s joint statement said.