Mar back from China

MANILA, Philippines - Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II quietly arrived yesterday morning at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after meeting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping at the 9th China-ASEAN Expo last Friday in Nanning, Guangxi province in China.

Roxas discussed with Xi the current issues between the two countries and other bilateral concerns.

Both countries reportedly expressed their desire to resolve the issues while moving forward with their bilateral relations.

Xi promised Roxas to bring President Aquino’s message to the attention of Chinese President Hu Jintao and responded “to the matters raised in the meeting,” which Roxas promised to convey to the President.

China and the Philippines are still locked in a dispute over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

The dispute began in April when Philippine authorities spotted Chinese fishermen illegally gathering endangered marine species in the area, but were blocked by Chinese ships before they could make arrests.

The two nations, along with other countries, have overlapping claims on the Spratly group of islands in the West Philippine Sea.