The keen interest is mainly focused on China, with whom the Philippines has competing territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) or South China Sea, as others refer to it. The Philippines cannot ignore China, a rising superpower and one of our closest neighbors. Because of these, our national interests should discourage foreign policies based solely on our disputes with China. The Philippines need a game plan to assert our rights and sovereignty, while also looking after the economic interests of our fishermen. Like trade agreements, a fisheries treaty can be multilateral or bilateral, which is likely to be preferred by China.

Source: Manila Times February 20, 2022 02:33 UTC