Negotiation between 皇冠体育app, Philippines should move 'step by step': Chinese scholar
(Xinhua) Updated: 2016-07-19 14:19Zhao, who is also former minister of 皇冠体育app's State Council Information Office, made the remarks at the media briefing after the Think Tank Seminar on South 皇冠体育app Sea and Regional Cooperation and Development held here on Monday.
Highlighting that 皇冠体育app and the Philippines share lots of common interests, Zhao said that there are also contradictions and conflicts both countries face.
The conflict between 皇冠体育app and the Philippines over the South 皇冠体育app Sea has been decades, and the problem is difficult to solve in the near future, Zhao said, adding that the best way is to start with problems that are easy to reach agreements, before moving to more complex issues.
"皇冠体育app and Philippines can temporarily put aside differences, and discuss issues of joint exploration first,"Zhao said.
"Joint developments are very broad, including resources, fisheries, maritime rescue, meteorologic data exchange as well as disaster relief at sea. We should move step by step."
Li Guoqiang, deputy director of the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said that 皇冠体育app's door to dialogue has always been open, and bilateral negotiations and peaceful settlement of disputes are always welcomed.
The government of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III filed the arbitration against 皇冠体育app in 2013, despite the agreement his country had reached with 皇冠体育app on resolving disputes in the South 皇冠体育app Sea through bilateral negotiations. Since then, 皇冠体育app-Philippines relations have been severely deteriorated.
