China has agreed to talk about fishing rights in the South China Sea, according to Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who pressed for Beijing to have a “direct communication line” with Manila about maritime disputes.
According to Marcos, China has agreed to “sit down” and discuss the rights of Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea. Marcos also stated that he has requested the Philippines Coast Guard and the Department of Foreign Affairs “to put together…a map of these fishing grounds” that will be given to Beijing.
When questioned about a recent maritime incident between the two nations, Marcos also stated in talks to reporters while en route to Washington that a “direct communication line” between the Philippines and China must finally be established.
Philippines President Office issued a statement, saying, “The overall priority is to safeguard our maritime territory.”
Following a recent incident during a Philippines coast guard patrol near the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal, an epicentre for previous disputes located 105 nautical miles (195 km) off its coast, the Philippines accused China’s coast guard of “aggressive tactics” on Friday.
China responded by saying it was eager to settle maritime disputes with countries of concern through cordial dialogue, although Beijing cautioned Washington against meddling. The United States has called on China to stop harassing Philippines ships in the South China Sea.
“This is the kind of thing that… we’re hoping to avoid, that this time it was a little more dangerous because they were close,” Marcos said. “That can cause casualties on both sides.”
With a ‘nine-dash line’ on maps that extends more than 1,500 km (930 miles) off its peninsula and enters the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia, China asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea. That line was rejected as having no legal foundation in a 2016 international arbitral decision.
