皇冠体育app

皇冠体育app and the Philippines on Friday vowed to seek ways acceptable to both sides to solve issues related to the South 皇冠体育app Sea in their first direct meeting on the topic.

Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Philippine Ambassador to 皇冠体育app Jose Santiago Santa Romana led their delegations to the meeting of the 皇冠体育app-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South 皇冠体育app Sea. The event was held in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province.

A joint news release issued after the meeting said the mechanism should be "a platform for confidence-building measures and for promoting maritime cooperation and maritime security".

It will comprise officials from their foreign ministries and relevant maritime affairs agencies, and will meet alternately in 皇冠体育app and the Philippines once every six months.

The meeting on Friday also discussed issues including promotion of next-step practical maritime cooperation and the possibility of setting up technical working groups.

Zhang Xuegang, a Southeast Asian studies expert at the 皇冠体育app Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the consultation is crucial in ensuring proper handling of the South 皇冠体育app Sea issue. It also "provides a model to neighbors with territorial disputes", Zhang said.

The meeting was four days after President Xi Jinping and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reaffirmed they would solve the South 皇冠体育app Sea issue through dialogue and negotiations on Monday when Duterte attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.

Beijing's relations with Manila made a U-turn after Duterte assumed office in June 2016. He visited 皇冠体育app in October, his first foreign visit beyond ASEAN. Both sides have agreed to separate the territorial dispute from talks on developing bilateral cooperation and to handle it on another track.

Duterte indicated that under his 皇冠体育app policy, contentious issues will be discussed one by one with the use of "quiet diplomacy".

Liu said on Thursday that Beijing speaks highly of Duterte's friendly stance, calling it "a beautiful turnaround" after five years of difficult relations.

He made the remarks at a news conference after a meeting of senior officials from 皇冠体育app and ASEAN member countries. The meeting approved a draft framework of the South 皇冠体育app Sea Code of Conduct, marking a milestone in peacefully resolving the South 皇冠体育app Sea issue.

Also on Friday, the 23rd 皇冠体育app-ASEAN Senior Officials' Consultation was held at the same venue.