Benigno Aquino
China has demanded the Philippines drop its arbitration case with the United Nations on territorial disputes as a condition for allowing President Benigno Aquino to visit a Chinese trade fair, diplomatic sources say.
The demand prompted Aquino to cancel the trip to Nanning for the opening of the annual China-ASEAN Exposition on Tuesday.
“There were subsequent concerns and conditions to the president’s attendance and such conditions were absolutely inimical to our national interest,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Raul Hernandez said on Monday.
He declined to give details of the conditions, but diplomatic sources said Beijing demanded that Manila withdraw the arbitration case that challenges China’s claim to nearly the entire South China Sea.
The sources said China also demanded that the Philippines pull out a rusty navy ship from the Second Thomas Shoal, which Beijing claims as its territory even though it is located within Manila’s 200 nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not confirm or deny the allegations, and insisted that Beijing values its friendship with the Philippines.
“Under the current circumstances, China hopes the Philippine side could work together with the Chinese side to overcome difficulties and disturbances and make real efforts to get the China-Philippines relationship back to the track of sound and stable development,” embassy spokesman Zhang Hua said.
Manila and Beijing have been locked in a diplomatic rift since last year over maritime disputes.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the South China Sea.
Source: The Australian – Philippine leader cancels China tripRelated Articles
- China moves to isolate Philippines, Japan (chinadailymail.com)
- China Asks Philippine President to Cancel Visit: Manila (voanews.com)
- Manila Says China Withdraws Invitation for Aquino – ABC News (abcnews.go.com)
- Philippines says China withdraws invite for Aquino (star-telegram.com)
- Hagel: US Not Interested in Permanent Bases in Philippines (voanews.com)
- Philippines says China withdraws invite for Aquino (miamiherald.com)
- Philippines says China withdraws invite for Aquino (nzherald.co.nz)
- China hits Manila as UN arbitration proceedings on Spratlys dispute start (globalnation.inquirer.net)
- Aquino scraps China visit at Beijing’s request (channelnewsasia.com)
- Philippines says China withdraws invite for Aquino (utsandiego.com)
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It is China that must drop its claim of islands within the 200 miles Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines as provided by the UNCLOS. It 9- dash line claim on these islands is an hallucination and without basis. The Spratly islands are more than 500 miles from China. The only reason why China is doing this unfounded claim is because at present it believes it can intimidate the Philippines because of its military might. China look back at history. Military might is not a guarantee to win in dispute between nations. Be reasonable We are not just animals; we are human beings. We human beings are ready to fight and die for what is right. We say to President Aquino: don’t give a damn to this arrogance of the Chinese leaders thru banning you to their trade fair. Show to them,we Pilipino are honorable people and know what is right and wrong and we follow what is right.
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If China truly values its friendship with the Philippines, it should not bully the Philippines. Strong friends do not bully weak friends but help them instead.
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Reblogged this on The ObamaCrat™.
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