Aquino: G7 statement shows world is affected by China reclamation
President Benigno Aquino III on Friday said the recent statement from seven of the leading industrialized nations, dubbed Group of 7 (G-7), showed that the rest of the world is concerned with China’s reclamation in South China Sea.
“’Yung pagsasalita ng mga ibang bansa, lalo na ‘yung hindi talaga nandito sa ating lugar, kumikilala doon sa bigat ng problema na problema ng lahat,” he said during an interview in Tarlac City.
(The statement of the other countries, especially those not from our region, acknowledges the seriousness of the problem, which affects everyone.)
Earlier, foreign ministers of the G-7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) released a joint statement warning against “any attempt to assert territorial or maritime claims through the use of intimidation, coercion or force.”
It said that the member countries of the group have been observing the situation in the East and South China Seas “and are concerned by any unilateral actions, such as large-scale land reclamation, which change the status quo and increase tensions.”
The group called for peaceful settlement of the maritime disputes, in accordance with international law.
China has been increasing its presence in South China Sea, including areas that are within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
Aquino said the government has long been espousing peaceful resolution of disputes in the region.
He said the “problem” is no longer regional since 40 percent of the world’s trade passes through the South China Sea.
Aquino said he hopes goodwill will prevail and that everyone follows international law.
He said he will continue to push for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea during the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Malaysia. AU
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