MANILA— Despite stalled consensus on a draft joint exploration agreement last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday said the talks with China on the partnership is “on track.”
The supposed official visit of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Manila on September 16 was expected to produce an approved draft on the joint exploration in the South China. However, the trip was suspended after Typhoon Mangkut tore through the Philippines before hitting Hong Kong on the day of his trip.
“On track kami, except ‘di kami natapos (nitong) September (We are on track, it’s just that we weren’t able to finalize this September),” Cayetano told reporters in an interview before departing for the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The official said diplomatic channels are now working on a new schedule.
“I will see him in the UN but not for the bilateral, we’re working for the schedule. I’ve met twice with the Chinese ambassador, because the meeting (with FM Wang) was cancelled, we continued other discussions first,” he said.
Among those discussed were talks on China-Philippines’ big-tickets projects and the two states’ cooperation on security, as well as on campaign against illegal drugs.
On joint exploration and eventual a joint development, Cayetano maintained that Manila is keen to push for an agreement as the Malampaya gas field is expected to be depleted by 2028. (Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA)
