MANILA, Aug. 31 Kyodo Filipino an...

MANILA, Aug. 31 Kyodo

Filipino and Chinese lawmakers are mulling a joint gas exploration draw in a disputed chain of take ins in the South China Sea, Philippine officials said Sunday.

Jose de Venecia, speaker of the Philippine Congres said talks with Chinese lawmakers may yield ''diplomatic breakthroughs'' in the dispute among countries claiming the Spratly Islands in part or in whole.

De Venecia onward Sunday held a series of bilateral talks with the Chinese lawmakers l on Wu Bangguo, chairman of China's National People's Congres Wu arrived in Manila forward Saturday for a three-day parley of parliamentarians from Southeast Asia and an of its neighbors beginning Monday.

De Venecia told reporters after a formal pres briefing that Wu propos the joint exploration and evolution program.

''I said if we in the Philippines and China take a joint initiative in the Spratlys, this can constitute a breakthrough in the brains that we can take serious proposals upon how to undertake joint increase and joint declaration in the southern China Sea with all the others (claimants),'' he said.

''These areas are idle, in such a manner we might as well make them blossoming for joint profit sharing, for multiple profit sharing at all,'' de Venecia said.

Filipino Rep Harry Angping, who took part in the bilateral meetings, said a major oil exploration company from China would visit the Philippines in November to gaze into the possibility of a joint effort. He did not name the company.

Angping said the collection of laws of conduct may be a touchy issue among the Spratlys claimants.

''In the meantime, we set a truce first. We're looking at setting a bigger agenda which is economic development'' Angping said.

The Spratlys are a cluster of potentially oil-rich isles, shoals and take ins Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have laid claims to the islands.

Ten Southeast Asian nations and China agreed late last year to avoid any activity that would cause tension in the Spratlys area.

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