MANILA, Philippines — France reiterated its support for the Philippines' position on the South China Sea during high-level diplomatic consultations in Manila on Monday, December 9, following the arrival of a ranking French official on the inaugural Paris-Manila direct flight.

Anne-Marie Descôtes, secretary general of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, flew in on Air France's newly restored direct flight to Manila on Sunday night and paid a visit to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

The consultations focused on strengthening bilateral relations between the Philippines and France and touched on the Philippines' maritime dispute with China, the French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel told Philstar.com. 

"[The incidents in the South China Sea] was again one topic that we discussed, and we are really sharing the same stand with the Philippines," Fontanel said in an interview Monday night. 

Incidents in the disputed waters are "very high and frequent" on France's bilateral agenda, she added. "We always stick to international law and particularly the international law of the sea. We support the UNCLOS and the Arbitral Awards of 2016," Fontanel said.

The ambassador highlighted France's readiness to speak out on maritime incidents. 

"Each time there is a need to recall that we expect any state parties to adhere to international law, we do. So that's very clear. It's very clear each time in our conversation with the Philippines," Fontanel said. 

France last week expressed concern over the reported harassment by China Coast Guard vessels and Chinese warships of Philippine Coast Guard vessels near Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc).

In a statement released by the French Embassy, France renewed its call for respect of UNCLOS and said it opposed "any threats or use of force contrary to international law." 

The December 4 incident similarly drew statements of concern and condemnation from other foreign powers, including the United States, Japan, South Korea and the European Union.

France is also one of several foreign powers that regularly sail its naval vessels through the South China Sea for freedom of navigation operations.

It also participates in joint military exercises in the region, including drills with Japan, the United States, and other regional partners through exercises.

Beyond military presence, France consistently backs the Philippines' maritime position through diplomatic channels, supporting both UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award while issuing statements on South China Sea incidents.

France was one of three countries, including Germany and the United Kingdom, that filed a joint note verbale in 2020 to protest China's expansive claims in the South China Sea. 

The three countries had cited the 2016 arbitral ruling by a tribunal constituted under UNCLOS that invalidated China's sweeping claims to nearly all of the South China Sea. Beijing has never recognized this ruling

On Monday, representatives of the Philippines and France expressed their commitment to deepening their relations during Descôtes' consultations at the DFA, the French ambassador said.

"We have many domains of our cooperation where we work a lot together to strengthen the ties and to do more," the French ambassador said.

"We confirmed the path that was the one decided by both President Macron and President Marcos when they met in the past," she said. "We are on the path of strengthening the bilateral relation."

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The resumption of Air France's direct flights to and from Manila after 20 years would also help facilitate these growing ties, she said.

"This Air France coming back80jili,, the resuming of the direct flight 20 years after Air France left, is actually a milestone in the strengthening of our bilateral relation," Fontanel added.

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