日本與菲律賓於6/4發表聯合宣言
By ANDREO CALONZO,GMA News June 4, 2015 7:54pm於東京
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday expressed opposition to Chinese reclamation activities in disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea.
In a joint statement during Aquino's state visit to Japan, Abe said he and the Philippine leader discussed “the stability of the region, especially the territorial dispute” during a meeting on Thursday afternoon.
“Aquino and I share serious concern about large-scale land reclamation. We oppose any attempt to unilaterally chafe the status quo,” Abe said.
He added that Japan agrees with the Philippines’ push to uphold the principle of rule of law in disputed territories through arbitration procedures.
Before addressing media, Aquino and Abe signed a joint declaration on strengthening the strategic partnership between their countries. Details of the joint declaration are not immediately available as of posting time.
Territorial rows
Abe’s remarks came a few days after US President Barack Obama urged regional powers, particularly China, to respect the law and stop "throwing elbows” in dealing with the sea dispute.
In his statement, meanwhile, Aquino maintained that the Philippines will continue seeking a “just and peaceful” solution to its territorial row with China.
“We reviewed the security challenges that confront both our nations, and pledged to cooperate in advancing our shared advocacy for members of the international community to act responsibly,” he said.
“We believe this can be done through finding just and peaceful solutions to our territorial disputes and maritime concerns by upholding the rule of law, towards creating a secure and stable environment that serves as the bedrock of our collective progress,” he added.
Both Japan and the Philippines are locked in territorial rows with China. Japan has overlapping claims with China over the Senkaku Islands, known to Beijing as the Diaoyu.
The Philippines meanwhile has been engaged in a territorial spat with China over resource-rich parts of the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. Manila has already sought international arbitration to resolve the dispute. —JST, GMA News
