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| Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay |
China infuriated over PH fresh remarks on South China Sea
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuan on Wednesday said Philippines’s remarks about concerns for ASEAN regarding Chinese stance on South China Sea do not represent the bloc.
Geng said China looks to work with the ASEAN to complete the draft of a framework of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) before midyear.
China dismissed Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay’s remarks about concerns raised by ASEAN over China in the South China Sea, saying “such comments were only his opinion and does not represent the view of ASEAN as a whole.”
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China scraps commerce visit to PH likely over Yasay remarks
Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng decided at the last minute to cancel an official trip to the Philippines on Thursday (Feb 23) likely over the recent disapproval of foreign minister Perfecto Yasay’s remarks.
The visit’s purpose is to sign about 40 joint projects worth billions of dollars, sources at the Philippines trade and finance ministries said.
However, it was not immediately clear what was behind the abrupt postponement of what would have been an important development in a new era of engagement between the two historic rivals under President Rodrigo Duterte, who has praised the leadership of Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
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