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Philippine, China leaders may discuss row at APEC

Philippine, China leaders may discuss row at APEC

Wednesday, August 29, 2012, 13:45 GMT+7

The Philippine and Chinese presidents will likely discuss a territorial row on the sidelines of a regional trade summit in Russia next month, a Filipino official said Wednesday.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino will reaffirm in the talks his country's claims to parts of the East Sea while seeking to ease tensions with China and boost trade, foreign affairs undersecretary Laura del Rosario said.

"He (Aquino) will explain to them what we are doing about it, what we are doing to de-escalate it. It's useless to discuss the problem in a high-pitched voice," del Rosario told reporters, referring to the maritime row.

Aquino and Chinese President Hu Jintao are due to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit in Russia's far eastern port city of Vladivostok on September 8 and 9.

Del Rosario said the meeting between Hu and Aquino on the sidelines of the summit had not yet been confirmed, with both delegations still to finalise their schedules.

But she said the Chinese side had proposed the bilateral meeting, and Aquino would accept.

"It will be the number one on his priority list," she said.

Del Rosario emphasised the Philippines wanted to focus on boosting economic partnerships with China during the planned meeting, not the East Sea dispute that has caused deep diplomatic fissures for more than a year.

"We just hope... that whatever political issues we have, we can just separate it from economic issues and trade issues," she said.

Tensions between the Philippines and China escalated dramatically in April when vessels from both countries became engaged in a stand-off at a remote shoal in the sea.

AFP

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