By Roy Mabasa The Philippines on Friday said the problem in the South China Sea needs a “heart-to-heart” talk between regional and nonregional players following the near collision between a United States Navy ship and a Chinese People’s Liberation Army vessel near the Spratly Islands on September 30. Speaking to reporters, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said these irritants are likely to continue until the US and China and the rest of the regional players sit down and discuss the issue. Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano
(AP Photo/Aaron Favila / MANILA BULLETIN) The US Navy earlier released a series of photos showing the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Decatur nearly collided with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Type 052C Luyang II-class destroyer Lanzhou. “So that’s our point, that the problem in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea needs a heart to heart talk between regional and nonregional players and between the two superpowers,” he said. While President Rodrigo Duterte’s policy is to be friends with everyone, Cayetano said the rivalries would show the difference in stand between China, the United States and even the Philippines. “But the dynamics of the superpowers are different from that of the middle powers and countries who use soft power,” he said. Even in the discussion among the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Cayetano said the problem exists since 60 percent of its members are nonclaimants while the 40 percent has claims. ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have overlapping claims in the region. The other two are China and Taiwan. “That is why we are hoping to finish the CoC (Code of Conduct)” he said.