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Philippines Sets Legal Red Lines for China Energy Talks in South China Sea

The push reflects an energy security drive during a declared national emergency.

National flags are placed outside a room where Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and China's Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng address reporters after their meeting in Beijing, China, January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo

Overview

  • The Department of Foreign Affairs, which issued a statement Sunday, said any oil and gas pact will follow the Constitution and assert Philippine control over resources in its exclusive economic zone.
  • Talks between Manila and Beijing resumed late last month in Quanzhou to explore preliminary steps on possible oil and gas cooperation.
  • President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed agencies to seek only lawful options to secure fuel supplies as global oil routes face uncertainty and the country faces an energy emergency.
  • Lawmakers urged transparency in any renewed exploration talks in the West Philippine Sea and warned against deals crafted without public scrutiny.
  • The legal backdrop includes a 2016 ruling that rejected China’s expansive claims and a 2023 Supreme Court decision voiding a prior seismic-survey deal, which sets strict limits on how any joint work can be structured.