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A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 22 February
Philippines: framework of South China Sea pact possible soon

JOEAL CALUPITAN Southeast Asian diplomat ing a closed-door meeting framework that is unac- made islands, including at
Associated Press involved in the negotiations of ASEAN foreign ministers ceptable to Beijing and least three with runways.
BORACAY, Philippines (AP) for the nonaggression pact on the central Philippine re- would simply be “a piece It also reportedly installed
— The Philippines’ top dip- told The Associated Press. sort island of Boracay. of paper that will just further defense missile systems on
lomat said Tuesday it re- prolong discussions on the the new islands, sparking
mains to be seen wheth- matter without getting any alarm and protests from ri-
er China will cooperate tangible results.” val claimants.
fully in ongoing efforts to When China seized Philip- The Philippines used to be
craft a legally binding pact pine-claimed Mischief Reef the most vocal Southeast
designed to prevent ag- in 1995, the Manila govern- Asian critic of China’s ac-
gressive behavior in the dis- ment strongly protested tions in the disputed waters,
puted South China Sea. and took steps that led to successfully questioning
Despite the likelihood of the start of negotiations for the legal basis of Beijing’s
tough negotiations ahead, a regional accord with Chi- claims in an arbitration
Foreign Secretary Perfecto na to discourage actions case Manila won in July
Yasay Jr. expressed confi- that might spark armed last year. Current President
dence that the 10-nation confrontations. Rodrigo Duterte, however,
Association of Southeast Bejing’s opposition to a le- has taken steps to reach
Asian Nations and Chi- gally binding pact then, out to China and has priori-
na could at least com- however, led to the sign- tized improved economic
plete a framework for such Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana speaks to report- ing in 2002 of a nonbind- engagement.
a pact, called a code of ers in Singapore. The Philippines’ top diplomat said Tuesday it ing declaration to encour- That has helped deesca-
conduct, as early as June. remains to be seen whether China will cooperate fully in ongo- age China, Brunei, Malay- late tensions in the disputed
ing efforts to craft a legally binding pact designed to prevent
Efforts to forge such a re- aggressive behavior in the disputed South China Sea. sia, the Philippines, Taiwan
gional nonaggression pact (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) and Vietnam to avoid ag- waters, a key waterway for
have dragged on for years gressive actions in one of Asian commerce and se-
without any concrete sign Asia’s potential flashpoints. curity, but removed a key
of when it might be com- Yasay said he was confi- “China will not agree to China and rival claimant player that had defiantly
pleted. Asian and Western dent a framework for the anything that will tie its countries, however, have stood against China’s terri-
governments led by the agreement could be fi- hands,” said Jay Batong- traded accusations of vio- torial ambitions along with
United States have called nalized by mid-year “on bacal, who heads the In- lating the 2002 pact, which the United States. That rais-
for the rapid conclusion of the basis of the fact that stitute for Maritime Affairs urged them to “exercise es a question about how
such an accord as territori- everyone, including all of and Law of the Sea at the self-restraint in the conduct far the ASEAN bloc can
al disputes in the South Chi- the ASEAN member states state-run University of the of activities” and refrain push against China’s asser-
na Sea escalated in recent and China are pushing Philippines. “from action of inhabiting tiveness now, Batongbacal
years. hard for this.” China’s cooperation is on the presently uninhab- said.
China, however, has op- “Whether, in fact, Chi- crucial, Yasay said. While ited islands, reefs, shoals, “If the Philippines won’t
posed a legally binding na will be able to cooper- Southeast Asian govern- cays, and other features.” push, Vietnam and the oth-
agreement that could ate along the way is some- ments generally want a In the last three years, Chi- ers won’t do it alone,” he
block its actions to assert its thing that we cannot say strong pact, Yasay sug- na has turned seven mostly said. “There will be no pres-
claim to virtually the entire for now,” Yasay said, with- gested the regional group submerged reefs, including sure to come up with any-
South China Sea, a senior out elaborating, after host- would not want to craft a Mischief Reef, into man- thing really substantial.”q
Chinese premier appeals to Washington to avoid ‘trade war’

BEIJING (AP) — China’s No. Li took the unusual step solved amicably,” Li said. competition with low- a ringing endorsement of
2 leader expressed hope of making an impromptu “A China-U.S. trade war wage foreign laborers and trade during a January
Tuesday that disputes statement to reporters dur- would benefit nobody, to unjust trade practices speech at the World Eco-
with U.S. President Don- ing an appearance with (and) would not benefit by China and others. nomic Forum in Davos,
ald Trump’s government his French counterpart, the world.” His promise to raise import Switzerland. He appealed
can be settled amicably Bernard Cazeneuve. Trump pledged during his barriers has given Chi- to world leaders to “say no
and warned a “trade war “Let the figures do the talk- election campaign to raise nese leaders an opening to protectionism.”
would benefit nobody.” ing,” the premier said, cit- import duties on Chinese to present themselves as Earlier Tuesday, the Chi-
Despite Trump’s promises ing American jobs support- goods to 40 percent but champions of free trade, nese commerce minister
to raise duties on Chinese ed by U.S.-Chinese trade. has yet to take formal ac- though other governments delivered a similar mes-
goods, Premier Li Keqiang “We have faith that, with tion. have said theirs is the most sage at a news confer-
said Beijing has a “sta- mutual respect and on Trump argues that the closed major economy. ence, appealing to Wash-
ble, optimistic outlook” the model of cooperation existing order has short- In an implicit rebuke to ington to cooperate in pro-
on trade with the United through equality, issues of changed Americans by Trump, the Chinese presi- moting trade and a global
States. trade friction can be re- exposing them to unfair dent, Xi Jinping, delivered economic recovery.q