SUMMARY

MANILA, Philippines – As a Senate panel probed the wiretapping of a call between a Philippine naval commander and a Chinese diplomat, on Wednesday, May 22, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo described the current state of bilateral relations between Manila and Beijing as “a bit choppy.” 

“I would say they’re a bit choppy. There are many issues which have come up recently. But mainly…it’s really been an effort by the Philippines to assert our rights in our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea and this assertion is based on rights which are granted by international law…. So that’s all that the Philippines has been doing, is doing, and will continue to do,” said Manalo in a briefing with select Philippine media. 

Manalo, a career diplomat who has helmed the Department…

Source:https://www.rappler.com/philippines/department-foreign-affairs-china-to-blame-choppy-bilateral-ties/