Wen praises joint sea exploitation
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-10-31 08:44 The South China Sea joint
exploitation between China, the Philippines and Vietnam has been conducive to
maintaining peace in the disputed sea, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in
Nanning yesterday.
Wen said the joint exploitation was significant for enhancing mutual trust
and cooperation between the three countries, Wen told Philippine President
Gloria Arroyo on the sidelines of the commemorative summit marking the 15th
anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations. The three sides should continue
to hold consultations over the joint exploitation for the next phase, he
stressed.
Arroyo said her country was satisfied with the development in the
three-nation joint exploitation and ready to continue the cooperation with China
and Vietnam.
Territorial disputes emerged between China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei
and Malaysia on the South China Sea since the 1970s, where each country claimed
part of the sovereignty.
In November 2002, China and the 10-member Association of Southeastern Asian
Nation adopted a Declaration on the Conduct of Parties on the South China Sea,
laying a political foundation for possible commercial cooperation in the future
between China and ASEAN countries as well as the long-term peace and stability
in the region.
In March 2005, three oil companies from China, the Philippines and Vietnam
signed a landmark tripartite agreement in Manila to jointly prospect oil and gas
resources in the South China Sea.
On bilateral ties between China and the Philippines, Wen said the
relationship had never been better than today, with exchanges and cooperation
booming in various sectors.
China and the Philippines have selected agriculture, infrastructure
construction and mineral resources exploitation as the top priorities for
bilateral cooperation. China hopes that all the cooperation agreements in these
fields will be fully implemented at an early date, he added.
Arroyo said relations between the Philippines and China had entered a golden
period with effective bilateral cooperation in areas like politics, economy and
trade, and security.
She said the Philippine side was grateful for China's support and assistance
to the Philippines' agriculture, railway construction and housing projects, and
for its efforts to counter natural disasters.
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