He said Japanese foreign minister Fumio Kishida, who met with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City on Thursday, had given assurance that Japan would stand united with the Philippines in the search for a peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with the rule of law.
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The statement said the discussions were held in a private capacity, and Ramos said later other back channel talks with China were underway.
Ramos told reporters in Hong Kong that the territorial dispute itself was not mentioned during the meeting.
Kishida says maritime order based on the rule of law is indispensable for regional stability.
Japan’s MOFA said that it had notified Beijing of the incident and the Japan Coast Guard’s response, and added that the Chinese government “expressed its gratitude”.
Ex-President Fidel Ramos – a longtime advocate of closer Philippine-Chinese ties – was sent as a conciliatory envoy by Manila.
On July 12, an global tribunal of judges ruled in favor of the Philippines in a case against China’s claims to virtually all of the South China Sea. But Ramos would have to first visit Beijing for talks with Chinese officials to pave the way for Philippine President Duterte to make a formal state visit to Beijing, he said.
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The five-judge tribunal took the view that Beijing’s claims to almost the entire South China Sea have no legal or historical basis.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, commenting on Ramos’ visit, said on Friday that Beijing hopes such communications could “help restore China-Philippines dialogue and improve bilateral relations”.
China claims around 90 percent of the South China Sea – which is believed to be sitting atop huge oil and gas deposits – but the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also consider some of the region’s waters, islands and reefs to be their territory. This was among the factors that prompted Manila to seek arbitration.
Ramos said he discussed restoring the previous situation where Chinese, Filipino and even Vietnamese fishermen freely plied their trade in the Scarborough Shoal.
De La Salle University assistant professor Richard Javad Heydarian said Ramos’ trip restored a functional level of communication between the two countries.
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Manila wants formal discussions with Beijing “at the appropriate time” to explore pathways to peace and cooperation, the statement added.
