Beijing and Manila working on ‘road map’ for South China Sea talks, ambassador says
Jing Quan says ‘best option is to sit down for talks’ aimed at ending long-running territorial dispute between China and Philippines
Speaking at a media reception at the Chinese embassy on Tuesday, Jing said the South China Sea issue was only one part of China-Philippines relations, and the two countries “have the capability and wisdom to find ways to manage their differences”, according to an embassy statement.
“The two sides have reached a preliminary consensus on the road map for dialogue and exchanges in the next stage,” Jing said.
Jing also said China was committed to advancing negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on a code of conduct for the South China Sea, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled for the first quarter of this year, and Jing described these talks as becoming “more frequent and more intensive”.
He said both sides wanted to reach agreement before the end of the year – a long-standing target – particularly as Manila holds the rotating Asean chair this year.