Philippines, China move to avoid ‘miscalculation’ in disputed sea

SpaceWar.com reports: “The Philippines and China will establish direct communication between their foreign ministries to avoid ‘miscalculation and miscommunication’ in the hotly disputed South China Sea, Manila said Thursday.

The deal will be signed next week during Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos’s visit to Beijing where he will meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, a foreign ministry official told reporters.

Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on the Philippines’ maritime rights in the sea — in contrast to his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who was reluctant to criticise the superpower.

The Philippines last week ordered its military to boost their presence in the contested waters after a report that China had started reclaiming several unoccupied land features around the Spratly Islands.

‘To avoid miscalculation and miscommunication in the West Philippine Sea, both sides have agreed to sign an agreement establishing… direct communication between the foreign ministries of both countries at various levels,’ said Neal Imperial, Philippine assistant secretary for Asian and Pacific affairs.

Manila refers to the waters immediately west of the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea…”

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