BEIJING, China - President Benigno Aquino said his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao saw contentious issues moving "towards a positive end."
 
Aquino was referring to the issue of the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea, which he brought up during the bilateral meeting.
 
Aquino told reporters that although there was no agreement on the specific approach to resolve the issue, they agreed the issue should be resolved by peaceful means.
 
"Our positions previously were really so disparate. They were too far apart. In this particular instance, there was that adherence to peaceful means, getting our people to talk together, to fully come to a common framework of resolving the issue," Aquino said.
 
During the talks, Aquino stressed that differences should be resolved in a rules-based approach. He described the problem as a regional one that requires a regional solution.
 
The Chinese side agreed that the problem should be solved peacefully, saying that the disputed area should be a zone of peace, friendship and cooperation.
 
"I won't say that they agreed with our positions but it is not the same situation that both of us stayed so strongly in very widely variant positions," Aquino said.
 
"Nag-umpisa tayo [na] magkalayo yung mga pananaw. Hindi ko naman masasabi na nagkabuo na yung pananaw pero hindi nananatiling ganun kalayo."
 
Aquino said China also expressed its desire to "operationalize" the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and come up with its implementing rules.
 
"That is very significant because before, it was a general statement of principles, now there's a desire to really to put in, kumabaga sa atin, yung implementing rules and regulations," Aquino said.
 
But still, Aquino said the Philippines is exploring all "mechanisms" on how to resolve the question of sovereignty over the disputed waters. Aquino said bringing the issue to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) needs China's concurrence to undergo a binding arbitration.
 
Aquino said there are "five to six ways to resolve" the issue and all are being explored.
 
Joint exploration
 
For now, Aquino said, the possibility of a joint oil exploration in the West Philippine Sea would have to be discussed in the lower levels.
 
"At this point in time, there's nothing concrete. I don't think it will be proper for me to say, we're embarking on this, we're embarking on that," Aquino said.
 
No building of structures
 
Aquino denied an allegation made in Chinese media that the Philippines is undertaking construction activities in a disputed island in the West Philippine Sea.
 
He said there is a plan to rehabilitate the airstrip on Pag-asa island which is used to deliver supplies to its residents. But Aquino clarified that the rehabilitation has not begun.
 
"There is a plan to rehabilitate it. But as of now, that plan hasn't materialized. It isn't ongoing. So categorically there are no structures that we are building anywhere there. And the only plan that exists is to rehabilitate a structure that was already existing. But even that has not happened."
 
Despite this, both the Philippines and China agree that the dispute over the islands should not ruin the relationship of the two countries.
 
"They did agree that this should no be a central part or the be all and end all of our relationships with them. I think both sides were striving to talk about areas where we have agreement rather than the one or two areas that we are not in agreement with," Aquino said.
 
More agreements
 
Aquino said that China's official development assistance to the Philippines will continue. China is now the country's fourth largest source of ODA, after Japan, the Asian Development Bank and World Bank.  
 
China also expressed its support for the setting up of a nautical highway between the Philippines and China, according to Aquino.
 
Both countries also committed to cooperate in the fight against transnational crimes such as drug trafficking and human trafficking.
 
In the field of tourism, both countries committed to assist each other in attracting more visitors.
 
Aquino's spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said President Hu approved of the proposal of President Aquino to declare the year 2012 to 2013 as the year of Philippine-Chinese friendship.