BEIJING: China and Malaysia will hold talks to resolve the recent activity in the South China Sea, which saw close to 100 Chinese boats fishing in Malaysian waters, says a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Hong Lei said both countries would engage in two-way communication to handle this issue.
“As friendly nations, it has been a tradition for China and Malaysia to utilise bilateral channels to manage our differences,” he said during a daily press conference here.
Last week, close to 100 Chinese fishing boats were found navigating in Malaysian waters in the South China Sea in the presence of Chinese coast guard vessels.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said they were conducting fishing activities off Sarawak.
On Thursday, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, confirming that it had called in Chinese Ambassador Dr Huang Huikang to seek clarification and to register Malaysia’s concerns.
It also stressed on a “mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity” between both countries.
South China Sea is home to a messy territorial dispute between China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei. Taiwan, which China considers its estranged province, also lays claims on the region.
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