MANILA, Philippines- Muling binanggit ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. kay Chinese President Xi Jinping ang kalagayan ng lokal na mangingisda.
Sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos sa Kapihan sa Media na maayos niyang nailatag ang “points and concerns” na kanyang tinalakay kay Xi sa kanilang pull-aside meeting hinggil sa sitwasyon sa South China Sea.
“Of course, as ever, whenever this issue comes up, I always bring up the plight of the fishermen. And we go back to the situation where both Chinese and Filipino fishermen were fishing together in these waters,” ayon kay Pangulong Marcos.
“And I think, the point was well taken by President Xi,” dagdag na wika nito.
Sa nasabing pulong, sinikap ng dalawang lider na magkaroon ng mekanismo para mapababa ang tensyon sa rehiyon.
“That’s essentially the message of what we spoke of to each other,” ayon sa Punong Ehekutibo.
Aniya pa, kapwa sila sumang-ayon na ang problemang mayroon sila hinggil sa territorial issue ay hindi dapat gawing pangunahing sangkap ng relasyon sa pagitan ng Manila at Beijing.
“We were in agreement that the problems that we have in South China Sea with China should not be the defining element of our relationship,” aniya pa rin.
Tinuran pa ng Pangulo na ang pagtugon sa isyu sa rehiyon ay “work in progress.” Binigyang-diin na dapat na magpatuloy ang komunikasyon sa nabanggit na usapin.
“We have to continue to communicate. We have to continue to be candid with one another and to be sincere in our desire to keep the peace. And I think that sincerity exists for both all parties involved. I do not think anybody wants to go to war,” ayon sa Pangulo.
“And so that is something, that is the premise actually to all the discussions that we have been having that how to maintain peace, so that the, the sea lanes and the airways are over the South China Sea are open and continue to be the important important gateway to Asia, as it is today,” patuloy niya.
Sa kabilang dako, sinabi pa ng Pangulo na ang makausap ng personal si Xi “always makes a difference.”
Sina Pangulong Marcos at Xi ay kapwa nasa San Francisco, California para sa Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2023. Kris Jose
