THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday welcomed the statement of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies sending a strong message to China on the territorial disputes in Asia.
In its statement, the DFA said the G7 declaration supports the stance of the Philippine government in seeking a peaceful resolution of its territorial dispute with China through arbitration. The Philippine government also said that it will respect the outcome of the arbitration process that it started in 2013.
“The Philippines welcomes the statement as it underlines the G7’s abiding commitment to support efforts to peacefully manage and settle the disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with the 1982 UN (United Nations) Convention on the Law of the Sea, through mechanisms recognized by international law, including legal procedures such as arbitration,” the statement read.
The G7 declaration is said to be consistent with the international community’s support for the Philippines’ “principled and rules-based approach for addressing disputes” in the South China Sea, the DFA added.
In an interview over radio dzRB, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. rejected allegations that the United States is meddling in the arbitral process started by the Philippines.
Coloma also assured that the US is not taking sides on the matter.