Spratlys grows hotter with Viets’ oil-exploration bid
Wednesday, October 27, 2004 11:27 PM

By ESTRELLA TORRES
TODAY Reporter


A diplomatic row is again brewing over the contested Spratlys Islands following Vietnam’s plan to explore for oil in the area.


Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said the Philippines is now conducting government-to-government talks with Vietnam on the latter’s plan to drill for oil in the disputed islands.


“This is something that we will discuss with Vietnam. We will continue to hold dialogues not only with Vietnam, but with other claimant countries on the need to maintain the status quo in Spratlys,” said Romulo.


He said any move to start drilling for oil in any of the disputed Spratlys islands would violate the Code of Conduct that claimant countries have signed.


The state-owned PetroVietnam announced last week its plan to drill oil in the disputed islands.


Chinese Ambassador to Manila Wu Hongbo said his government has also opposed Hanoi’s plan to drill for oil in the Spratlys.


“My government has already spoken. We are opposing it,” said Wu. “What Vietnam is doing is very different from the agreement between the Philippines and China to embark on a joint oil and seismic research.”


China through PetroChina earlier announced a similar plan to explore for oil reserves in the disputed islands. But after the Philippines opposed such a plan, both countries agreed to instead conduct joint oil and seismic research.


Other claimants to the Spratlys are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan. All these countries, as well as China, the Philippines and Vietnam, are signatories to the 2002 Declaration of Code of Conduct of Parties to the South China Sea that seeks to maintain the status quo in the disputed islands.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?section=Provincial&oid=62352