Duterte: China-PH ‘60-40’ deal in joint oil exploration unlikely now
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2019 10:15:30 +0000
It appears that China might no longer agree with the “60-40” sharing deal in the proposed joint oil exploration in the South China Sea, President Duterte said last Thursday.
Amid the uproar over his pronouncement that China cannot be stopped from fishing in the country’s exclusive economic zone, the President admitted that China earlier agreed to share the resources but is now unlikely to enter such exploration arrangement.
“They are willing now to share sana, 60-40. I do not think they will agree now,” Duterte said in an interview with reporters in Malacañang.
Duterte explained that he made a pitch for a joint oil exploration deal with China but has noticed that no one was talking about it now.
“Since I cannot assert jurisdiction, sabi ko hati na lang noon. Pumayag na sila. Sabi nila, ‘Para sa iyo, Mayor, 60-40 papayag kami.’ Ngayon, nobody’s talking about it,” he said.
In 2018, the President proposed that the Philippines could forge a 60-40 sharing scheme with China on the proposed oil exploration amid improving ties between the two nations. He opted to pursue the joint exploration proposal rather than wage war with China over the territorial conflict that can result in the loss of Filipino lives.
The Philippines later forged a pact with China to negotiate a possible oil and gas exploration in the future. Malacanang has repeatedly assured the public that any oil exploration deal with China would be constitutional and beneficial to the nation.
Duterte recalled in the media interview that he raised the government’s plans to dig oil in the South China Sea in his initial meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The Philippine leader, however, was reminded by Xi not to stir up “trouble” in the region.
The two leaders instead agreed to focus on cooperative ventures on enhancing economic relations such as the joint oil exploration. (Genalyn Kabiling)