13 November 2003 – It is the position of the Philippines that the solution to the continuing tensions in the South China Sea is for the parties to resolve the issue of sovereignty.  Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople made this assertion as he revealed that the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines has confirmed that there no new structures or installations had been built in the area of the South China Sea belonging to the Philippines, belying news reports that China had erected new markers.

“Pursuant to the instructions of the President, the DND and the AFP prepared a report on the current situation in the South China Sea and they have confirmed to me that no new structures or installations have been built in the area that belongs to the Philippines,” the Secretary said.

“The status quo is being maintained as we work towards a lasting solution to the situation.  The Code of Conduct remains intact and continues to be a viable means to maintain trust and confidence in the South China Sea,” the Secretary said.  The Philippines was a major proponent of the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed on 4 November 2003 a code of conduct in the South China Sea at the end of the sixth China-ASEAN Summit (10+1) with an aim to maintaining peace and stability in the South China region.

The Code, the first political document concluded between China and ASEAN over the South China Sea issue, bears a positive significance for enhancing mutual trust between the two sides. Through the Code, China and ASEAN reaffirmed their commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.  The parties also stressed the determination to seek a peaceful settlement of the disputes over the South China Sea through friendly coordination and negotiation.

“I believe that we continue to succeed in building confidence and creating the atmosphere through which we might one day sit down and resolve in a just, meaningful and lasting manner, our difference in the South China Sea,” the Secretary said.

The Secretary noted the restraint that was displayed by the other claimants while the Philippine verified reports of new structures in the South China Sea.  “The other claimants have shown admirable restraint even though our media continued to come up with reports that would have ordinarily elicited a response from the other claimants.  This shows that there is much more confidence today between the claimants and that there is a sincere desire to address the issues relating to the South China Sea in a peaceful manner,” Secretary Ople said.

“I would like to emphasize that the Philippines is prepared to address the root causes of the tensions in the South China Sea through peaceful means.  Our position is that we should address the sovereignty issues through the peaceful means allowed under international law, particularly those enumerated in Article 33 of the United Nations Charter,” he added. END.