The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippines is doing its best to bring China back to the negotiating table amid ongoing tension in the West Philippine Sea. According to Secretary Enrique Manalo, the DFA maintains that the “primacy of dialogue and diplomacy should prevail even in the face of these serious incidents”, even though he admitted that “it’s also a challenge.” “We will pursue the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international laws, specifically the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award. And we have been working hard to bring back China to the table to talk with us to resolve differences on these issues,” Manalo said over at the Senate on Tuesday.

Co, A. S. (2024, June 26). DFA: China should return to negotiating table on WPS row. Panay News, pp. 6, 15.