By Prashanth Parameswaran
Officials criticize Chinese actions following U.S.-Philippine strategic dialogue.
Philippine officials blasted China for its reclamation efforts in the disputed South China Sea as the United States and the Philippines ended their two-day strategic dialogue in Manila, media sources reported January 21.
In a joint press conference with America’s top diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Russel, on Wednesday, Philippine foreign affairs undersecretary Evan Garcia said that China’s activities violated the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DoC) that it signed with the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and were hampering efforts to resolve competing territorial claims in the South China Sea.
“[T]he massive reclamation of China in the South China Sea is a clear violation of what we have agreed upon,” Garcia said. “It is not helpful in terms of finding a way forward and it is not an example of what anybody would understand as self-restraint.”
Under the agreement, all parties agreed to exercise self-restraint, refrain from actions that would complicate or escalate disputes, and handle their differences in a constructive manner.
Read the full story at The Diplomat