Aquino, RP execs to defy China’s opposition to Spratlys issue By Michaela P. del Callar and Rocky G. Nazareno 03/30/2012

Aquino, RP execs to defy China’s opposition to Spratlys issue

By Michaela P. del Callar and Rocky G. Nazareno 03/30/2012

President Aquino and other Philippine officials will defy China’s opposition and continue to push the inclusion of Manila’s proposal to prevent South China Sea armed conflicts in a proposed code of conduct during the regional summit next week in Cambodia.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Teresita Barsana said the Philippine government would want to see key elements of its major foreign policy initiative called the Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation (Zopffc), which calls for the segregation of disputed zones from the non-disputed areas, integrated in the legally-binding code amid strong objections from China.

“The Philippines is part of the drafting of the code of conduct and that is where we can incorporate the elements that we want in our proposal,” she told a press briefing in Malacañang..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120330hea3.html