China, Philippines to hold 3rd S.China Sea talks

China and the Philippines will hold their third meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM) in China on Thursday, with a Chinese expert saying that the meeting will further lay down the foundation for greater cooperation between China and ASEAN members.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou and Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Enrique Manalo will attend the meeting, with representatives from national defense, natural resources and environmental protection, fisheries, transportation and energy sectors, and the coast guards also participating, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a routine press conference on Tuesday.

The two sides will discuss the current South China Sea situation and the possibility of deeper pragmatic cooperation, including joint oil and gas exploration, Lu said.

Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the Hainan-based National Institute for the South China Sea, told the Global Times on Tuesday that he expects to see concrete progress in joint oil and gas exploration, including outlined sea areas and cooperation model building.

The meeting will continue to focus on dispute management, joint search and rescue operations and other topics of mutual concern, Chen said.

Lu said that China believes the meeting will boost the development of ties between China and the Philippines, and contribute to peace and stability in the South China Sea.

In early August, China and the ASEAN agreed on a draft text of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea during the China-ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Singapore.

If China and the Philippines agree on some areas, they will serve as the basis for negotiations with other ASEAN members, Chen said.

The BCM was signed in 2017 to resolve maritime issues through talks and negotiations, Lu said, noting that the platform has also contributed to dispute management.