Although neither China nor the Philippines may be ready to give up their respective claims, it may be possible to work out cooperative agreements on fishing, private oil and gas exploration, and avoiding conflict due to accidental incidents, a foreign officer said yesterday. Ambassador Rosario Manalo, a participant in a recent conference on the South China Sea attended by experts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). made the remarks after a high-level team led by former President Fidel Ramos returned from China and described the overall tone of initial talks as "encouraging."

Torres, E. (2016, August 15). Work with China but stick to our claims, envoy advises Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A6.