The meeting was “very hospitable, very encouraging.” But the United Nations Tribunal ruling that sided with the Philippines in its territorial claim in the West Philippine Sea was not discussed when special envoy to China former President Fidel V. Ramos met with Fu Ying, chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China’s National People’s Congress and Professor Wu Shicun, president of China’s National Institute for South China Sea studies last week in Hongkong. Instead, the former president pushed for the return of the status quo where fishermen would be allowed to venture and fish in the West Philippine Sea. “We talked about fishing, return of what is called fishing status quo ante before the conflict, to restore the fishing according to the rights accorded by tradition,” said Ramos in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City yesterday. “And that means, the Philippines, China and even Vietnam is included [...]
