MANILA — China said June 18 it welcomed Philippine President Benigno Aquino's order pulling out two ships from a disputed shoal and expressed hope it would calm tensions.
"The Chinese side has been urging the Philippine side to take measures to de-escalate the situation," Chinese embassy spokesman Zhang Hua said in a statement. "We have noticed the withdrawal of government vessels by the Philippine side, and hope this action will help ease the tension."
Philippine Foreign Department spokesman Raul Hernandez said Aquino ordered the vessels to leave the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on June 15 as passing tropical storm Gutchol dumped heavy rains across large parts of the Philippines.
Hernandez stressed this did not mean the country was giving up on the shoal but he would not say if any Philippine ships would be returning after the weather improved.
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