Hong Kong. May 22. INTERFAX - The authorities of the Philippines and China openly discussed the situation in the South China Sea and the differences between the parties in this area, the Channel News Agency reported on Saturday, citing a statement from the Philippine Foreign Ministry.
"The two sides held friendly and honest talks on the overall situation and specific issues of concern in the South China Sea," the ministry said in a statement.
The consultations were conducted within the framework of a bilateral mechanism established in 2016 to reduce tensions in these waters. At the talks, the Philippines and China also recognized the importance of maintaining dialogue and taking into account the positions and plans of the parties in the area.
Earlier this year, Philippine authorities released photos of more than 200 Chinese vessels off the Whitsunga Reef (Chinese for Nuejiao) on March 7. The reef is part of the Spratly Archipelago (Chinese name - Nansha) in the South China Sea, around which the PRC and other ASEAN members - the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam-are arguing. At the same time, Uitsun is located 324 km from the province of Palawan in the western Philippines.
According to Manila, the crews of these vessels are manned by representatives of armed groups. In turn, in Beijing, they claimed that these were fishing vessels hiding from bad weather.
In early May, Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin demanded that China "get the hell out" of the disputed waters in the South China Sea. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin responded by expressing hope that " some figures from the Philippines will observe basic etiquette and act in accordance with their status."
