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Tag: PH-China joint exploration

Finding ways to circumvent charter for joint exploration with China

Published by Ellen on November 16, 2018
Pres. Duterte and China Pres. Xi Jinping in Beijing Oct. 2016 state visit.

We will be watching out for the details of the agreement on the joint exploration in the Spratlys that is expected to be signed in the presence of President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping when the latter comes to Manila on Nov. 20 and 21. If there would be any agreement on joint exploration at all.

Duterte and his foreign secretaries, present and past, have assured us Philippine sovereignty will not be compromised. We would like to believe them but we are still concerned especially after the President surrendered to China the Philippine claim in the Spratlys with his statement in Singapore last Wednesday while attending the ASEAN summit.

In an doorstep interview, Duterte, talking about the three-year time frame for the China –ASEAN Code of Conduct for the South China Sea said, apparently referring to the regional military superpower :”You are there, you are in possession, you occupy it, tell us what route shall we take and what kind of behavior.”

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Duterte’s gift to Xi Jinping when he comes in November

Published by Ellen on August 9, 2018
China’s President Xi Jinping welcomes Pres. Duterte to Beijing in October 2016. Malacanang photo by Toto Lozano.

All these efforts and pronouncements about joint exploration with China in Philippine territory is in connection with the state visit of China’s President Xi Jinping in November.

Xi is expected to proceed here after the summit of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders in Papua New Guinea on Nov. 12 to 18.

This was confirmed by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in his briefing yesterday. Asked how soon the PH-China joint exploration agreement would be signed, Roque said: “No time frame. But of course because of the impending visit of President Xi, I would say that it is anytime between now and the visit of President Xi. But it was not expressly stated as such.”

Continue readingDuterte’s gift to Xi Jinping when he comes in November

Roque is best adviser to Duterte on joint exploration with China

Published by Ellen on March 9, 2018

Pres. Duterte congratulates Harry Roque as his spokesperson

It’s good that President Duterte has Harry Roque with him as he seems to have been convinced by China to start the joint exploration in Reed Bank also known as Recto Bank – an undertaking that China had been wanting to do and had been generous with its enticement to the Philippine government.

In an interview with Karen Davila in ANC’s Headstart, Roque, presidential spokesperson, said the cooperation with China will be taking off from “the result of a joint maritime seismic exploration agreement. This will now actually entail joint exploration and possible exploitation of natural resources.”

“We have gone beyond determining if there are resources” and “The only issue is now, is it commercially viable,” he said.

Roque and Davila were talking about the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking or JMSU entered into by the Philippines, China and Vietnam on March 14, 2005.

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Again, the risks of joint exploration in PH EEZ

Published by Ellen on March 7, 2018

A day after President Duterte talked about” joint exploration” and “co-ownership” with the Chinese last Feb. 28 in Marawi City, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque was with Karen Davila in ANC’s Headstart.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque talks about joint exploration in PH EEZ with China in Headstart hosted by Karen Davila

Davila was following up this statement by Duterte: “Ngayon offer nila joint exploration, di parang co-ownership. Parang dalawa tayong may-ari niyan. Eh,di mas maganda,yan kaysa away. (Now their offer is joint exploration which is like co-ownership. It’s like both of us are owners. That good, better than fighting.)”

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China’s concept of setting side sovereignty dispute for joint exploration of Spratlys

Published by Ellen on July 31, 2017

Asked during his press conference last Wednesday when the talks about the joint exploration in Philippine territory that is also being claimed by China and other countries started, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano recalled the meeting of the late Deng Xiaoping with then President Corazon Aquino.

Meeting of China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and Pres. Corazon Aquino in Beijing in April 1988. Photo from People’s Daily online

In that meeting, Deng suggested to set aside the issue of sovereignty on the Spratlys because that won’t be resolved in their lifetime. He suggested joint development.

Cayetano assured the public that the joint exploration they would be entering with the Chinese will not violate the Constitution and cited the Malampaya oil project in Palawan which is being operated by Shell, a British–Dutch multinational oil and gas company.

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