The Chinese Embassy in Manila said China and the Philippines have overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea and called on both sides to manage differences and avoid actions that could escalate tensions.
In a statement addressed to Senator Francis Pangilinan, the embassy said the Philippines has the right to claim an exclusive economic zone based on its main islands, while China also claims an EEZ based on what it called the Nansha Qundao and Zhongsha Qundao.
“Our two countries have overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea,” the embassy said.
“In the relevant waters, the Philippines is entitled to conduct activities, and so is China,” it added.
The remarks came as Pangilinan stressed that China should respect the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone under international law, arguing that mutual respect must apply to both countries’ positions on sovereignty.
In a statement on Friday, Pangilinan said he respects and recognizes the One China Policy but said China must, in return, abandon what he described as its “illegal” claim over large portions of the West Philippine Sea.
He cited the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as the basis for the Philippines’ maritime entitlements and rejected what he called China’s claim over nearly 90 percent of the South China Sea.
The embassy rejected allegations that China had infringed on the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, calling such claims “unfounded.”
Citing international law, the embassy said that where maritime claims overlap, the parties concerned should delimit boundaries through means acceptable to both sides.
Pending such delimitation, it said the situation should be properly managed and actions that could complicate or escalate tensions should be avoided.
China urged both sides to acknowledge the reality of overlapping claims and work toward a proper resolution, adding that rigidly adhering to one position and assigning blame is “neither constructive nor helpful.”
