Philippines says international law must be respected in territorial disputes

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday in the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, that international law must be respected in resolving territorial conflicts, shortly after the Philippine defense ministry released a dozen photographs of Chinese ships in the South China Sea area.

This matter was raised by several ASEAN member countries in the meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang in Vientiane, where the summit is being held.

The meeting was preceded by the publication of photos by the Philippines showing Chinese ships in the area surrounding the Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by Manila.

In a press conference, Ernesto Abella, spokesman for the Philippine president, said that the purpose of releasing the photographs was simply to show that the country is aware of movements in the area.

Abella refused to specify the type of ships in the photos but said that they were not fishing boats.

He added that the Philippines had not detected any signs that China had begun constructing facilities in the region.

The Philippine spokesperson confirmed that talks were being held with China without deadlines or pressures, but added that no bilateral meeting had been planned with China in Vientiane.

The Philippines was not the only country to take up the South China Sea conflict in the meeting with China in Laos.

Philippine presidential communications secretary Martin Andanar said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also backed Manila’s petition that the disputes be resolved according to international law and defended freedom of navigation in the region.

China stakes a claim on nearly the entire South China Sea region, an area through which $5 billion worth of commercial traffic passes annually, and which boasts of large fishing zones and is reportedly rich in oil and gas reserves.