The Philippines intends to pursue talks on maritime borders with Japan despite opposition from Beijing, according to Manila¡¯s Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro.
¡°There seem to be certain reactions from some of our friends, but we are of the view that we have to proceed with the delimitation talks with Japan,¡± Lazaro said on Wednesday during a forum in Tokyo organized by Nikkei.
China over the weekend said it launched a special maritime operation east of Taiwan as Beijing ramped up its response to a recent agreement between Japan and the Philippines to negotiate maritime borders in the area and deepen defense cooperation.
Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has maritime disputes with Tokyo and Manila in the East China Sea and South China Sea.
The plan for delimitation talks was requested by the Philippines and forms part of efforts to bolster ties with Japan, Lazaro said.
¡°We think this is very important,¡± she added.
The Philippine official also spoke at the forum about how some members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are looking at a ¡°recalibration¡± of relations with Myanmar, which has been largely isolated from the group following the 2021 coup and imprisonment of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
¡°There seem to be some kind of change, but we¡¯ll see how it works,¡± said Lazaro, who is the regional bloc¡¯s special envoy to Myanmar this year.
She said ASEAN is ¡°still very much guided¡± by what is called its Five-Point Consensus, which demands an immediate cessation of violence, a condition that has limited Myanmar to sending only non-political representatives to the bloc¡¯s gatherings.
Lazaro, who has sought access to Suu Kyi, said she plans to meet with ¡°certain ethnic armed groups and to find out the situation and how we can really try to help.¡±
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