ABSTRACT
The Philippines' interest in the Nansha Islands began shortly after its independence in 1946. In April 1949, the Congress of the Philippines deliberated on sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, and there was also reports that naval fleets headed by the chief of the Philippine Navy were sent to survey the Nansha Islands. On May 17, 1950, Philippine President Quirino declared at a press conference that his country didn't need to take actions as long as the Chinese Kuomintang forces retained their control of the Nansha Islands. The Philippine government thus came up with their own interpretation: the Nansha Islands fell instead under the de facto trustee-ship of the Allied Powers of the Second World War, and the ownership of which should be decided by these countries or the United Nations. Although the Philippines agreed to shelve the issue of ownership concerning the Nansha Islands and seek joint management, its government has mainly targeted at the sharing of the seabed resources.
