蜜桃工作室

MANILA, Philippines鈥擯resident Aquino is flying Friday to Russia to join world leaders at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, with a chance to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao to ease tensions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

But pending official confirmation, Malaca帽ang on Thursday issued guarded statements about the possible Aquino-Hu聽 meeting on the sidelines of the two-day summit, which a foreign official said was based on a 鈥渕utual request.鈥欌��

鈥淲e will confirm the meeting as soon as it has been ironed out by both the DFA and the Chinese Foreign Ministry,鈥欌�� Secretary Edwin Lacierda, Aquino鈥檚 spokesman, said.聽 He maintained it was the Chinese side that requested the meeting.

In an earlier briefing, Foreign Undersecretary Laura del Rosario said Aquino would merely reiterate the Philippine position to 鈥渄e-escalate鈥� the territorial row should the meeting with Hu push through.

Aquino departs around 1 p.m. Friday on a chartered Philippine Airlines flight with a 66-member delegation, mostly business leaders.

The presidential delegation includes Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, outgoing Transportation Secretary and incoming Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Energy Secretary Rene Almendras and Lacierda, and Philippine Ambassador to Moscow Alejandro Mosquera, and Miguel Perez-Rubio, Malaca帽ang鈥檚 chief protocol officer.

In an August 29 briefing in Malaca帽ang, Undersecretary Del Rosario said Aquino would explain 鈥渨hat we鈥檙e doing to de-escalate鈥欌�� the territorial dispute should Hu raise it. 鈥淭he President will explain our position and what we鈥檙e trying to do,鈥欌�� she said.

Otherwise, the agenda of the bilateral meeting would be to reinvigorate trade between the two countries, Del Rosario said.

On the eve of the President鈥檚 departure, Lacierda welcomed Chinese officials鈥� promise to ensure freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea, the name the Aquino administration has given to the South China Sea, and assurance to work toward an eventual adoption of a code of conduct.

鈥淐ertainly, words that would give assurances are always welcome. And, also, it would be more welcome if it is followed through by concrete actions toward the fulfillment of those words,鈥� Lacierda said in a Malaca帽ang briefing.

He added: 鈥淧ositive statements are more welcome than statements which have tended to be belligerent in the past. And so, therefore, words that would speak of cooperation, speak of respect for freedom of navigation of the seas, are certainly welcome to us.鈥欌��

鈥淏ut, again, the position of the Philippines is that when it comes to the drafting of the Code of Conduct, Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] centrality must first be maintained,鈥� Lacierda said.

In their talks with visiting US State Secretary Hillary Clinton, Chinese leaders promised to ensure freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea, and cooperate with members of the Asean for the adoption of a binding code of conduct for the area.

The 10-member Asean failed to hammer out a 鈥渃ode of conduct鈥� that would govern actions in the sea.

Philippine officials said earlier that China had taken part in discussions on the code of conduct for the past 10 years, but has not given any sign it would soon sit down with claimant-countries for the drafting of such a code.

China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, which is believed to sit atop vast amounts of oil and gas, is one of the region鈥檚 most important fishing grounds and has shipping lanes that are vital to global trade. The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam and Taiwan claim parts of the sea.

Tensions flared up in the wake of China鈥檚 deployment of ships around Scarborough Shoal and fishing vessels around Pag-asa Island in May.

Territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea should not dominate the agenda of the APEC summit, Lacierda said.

鈥淭his is primarily an economic summit so I don鈥檛 believe that it should be a hindrance to a discussion among the members of the APEC,鈥欌�� he said.

In the brief two-day summit and his bilateral meetings, Aquino would have ample time to push forward Philippine concerns in trade and economy, Lacierda said.

鈥淥f course, we will always have to advance our national interest. That鈥檚, of course, the primary concern of each and every nation and in relation to trade and economic interests,鈥� he said.

In the summit and side meetings, the President expects 鈥済reater cooperation between the Asia Pacific nations,鈥� Lacierda said, adding: 鈥淭his is primarily an economic summit and so that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e looking for: Our trade with different members of the APEC and also strengthening of relations as well with member-nations.鈥欌��