Philippines Welcomes G7 Reports Addressing South China Sea Disputes

The Philippines welcomed reports that the powerful G7 summit express concern about unilateral efforts to assert sovereignty claims in the disputed South China Sea. The G7 countries are composed of the United States, Germany, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, and Japan. The United States also urged China and other nations to halt reclamation.

G7 Summit

For the past few months, regional alarm grew at moves by China as they aggressively stake its claim to most of the South China Sea, including a large-scale island-building programme.

According to Philippine Presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma, the country had been seeking more global attention on the issue after Pres. Aquino raised it on numerous overseas visits.

The Director of think-tank the G7 Research Group, John Kirton, has said maritime disputes between China and its neighbors would be on the agenda of the G7 Summit in Germany. Japanese newspapers also confirmed that their country, is actively participating as the summit would take up the issue in the South and East China Sea.

The disputed Spratly Islands and the entire South China Sea waters are also partially claimed by the Philippines, Bruenei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam aside from the powerful China who asserted its claimed of the entire South China Sea and its islands.

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