Philippines wants to start new energy exploration projects in South China Sea
The Hindu
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said his country is working to resolve “exploration issues” in the South China Sea so it could start new energy exploration projects in the resource-rich waterway to meet his nation’s energy needs.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said his country is working to resolve "exploration issues" in the South China Sea so it could start new energy exploration projects in the resource-rich waterway to meet his nation's energy needs.
Mr. Marcos, in an interview with Japanese media on Saturday, said tensions in the South China Sea have "increased rather than diminished" in recent months, warning that a "more assertive China" posed a "real challenge" to its Asian neighbours.
The Philippines and China have resumed discussions about jointly exploring oil and gas resources in the South China Sea, where the two nations have sparred for decades over sovereign rights to develop natural resources in the strategic waterway.
But "very little progress" has been made with regard to the talks, Mr. Marcos said, according to a press release from his office as he attends a Tokyo summit of Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"We are still at a deadlock right now," Mr. Marcos said as he emphasised his country's right to exploit energy reserves in the West Philippines Sea at a time the Philippines wants to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel and coal and transition to liquified natural gas.
Manila refers to the portion of the South China Sea that is within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as the West Philippine Sea.
Efforts to find a legally viable way to cooperate on energy exploration have stalled repeatedly, with previous administration abandoning talks in June last year citing constitutional constraints and issues of sovereignty.
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