Press Release
March 17, 2009

Enrile, after meeting the Chinese Ambassador: "We're friends"

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile expressed hope that the rising controversy over the disputed Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed partly and full by China, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries, will be resolved diplomatically and in a friendly way.

China was reacting strongly over the signing into law of the Philippine baselines law or R.A. 9522, which treats the Kalayaan Island and the Scarborough Shoal as a regime of islands under the Philippine Republic.

"I've talked to Ambassador Jianchao the other day about the Baselines Law issue. I told him we simply followed the requirements of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea", Enrile said.

"We have no intention to disregard the claim of China. In the same manner, I hope, they will not disregard the claim of the Philippines over the same area", he added.

China had earlier filed a protest on the signing of the Baselines Bill, describing it as illegal. It deployed its most modern patrol ship in the South China Sea, following the signing of R.A 9522 and the incident with the US naval vessel, that entered their exclusive economic zone.

"We're friends and we have long standing diplomatic relations with one another. Preserving that is the direction that we have to follow," said the Senate President.

Enrile received Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao at the Ceremonial Hall of the Office of the Senate President, on the latter's visit to the Senate last Monday morning.

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