The Philippines should not let US use it as a lightning conductor in its storm making

The eighth meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, held last week in Shanghai, marks the latest efforts by Beijing and Manila to better manage and control their maritime disputes. It also sends an unmistakable message to the outside world that the two are seeking to resolve their disputes through bilateral channels.

Since last year, the Philippines has repeatedly stoked tensions in the South China with its exacerbating of frictions, as a result of its provocative moves in relation to Ren'ai Reef and Huangyan Island in particular. These moves have worsened bilateral ties and offset regional efforts to build peace and stability in the waters.

Hence, agreements reached in the meeting on improving the sea-related communication mechanism and handling maritime emergencies, especially the situation on Ren'ai Reef, are helpful for ratcheting down tensions and paving the way for resolving the disputes through negotiations.