The Philippines is gearing up for talks, not war, with China, President Duterte said yesterday, as he expressed confidence in the ability of his special envoy to Beijing – former president Fidel Ramos – to help set the mood for formal negotiations.
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In July, an worldwide court in The Hague ruled against China’s claims in the resource-rich South China Sea after a case was brought forward by the Philippines, a decision stridently rejected by Beijing.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida met his counterpart Perfecto Yasay in the southern Philippine city of Davao where both pledged to work closely to boost maritime security while facing separate sea disputes with China.
Hua also reiterated China’s position that it has “indisputable sovereignty” over the Diaoyu Islands “and the adjacent waters”.
China is also in a long-running dispute with Japan over uninhabited islets in the East China Sea.
The decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration was widely seen as a victory for the Philippines which has challenged China’s claims to the vital waterway.
Japan urged China to adhere to the ruling, saying it was binding, prompting a warning from China not to interfere.
China is reported to have put up radar and surveillance facilities in the area.
“Through the visit of Ramos, the Philippines is expected to hear China’s voice and understand Beijing’s concerns over South China Sea issues, to improve bilateral ties”, he said.
Kishida said Japan would maintain its support to the Philippines with the delivery next week of the first of 10 coastguard vessels.
In a two-day meeting in Hong Kong, Ramos said he had discussions with Madam Fu Ying, chair of the foreign affairs committee of the National People’s Congress – China’s communist-controlled legislature.
Ramos said they also “talked about fishing”, referring to China driving away Filipino fishermen from a shoal it occupied in 2012 after a stand-off with Philippine authorities.
It is Tokyo’s intransigence that is to blame for much of the tension that has arisen with China in recent years over islands in the East China Sea.
China has a coastline of 32,000 km, 380,000 sq km of territorial seas and more than 6,500 islands that have an area of at least 500 square meters.
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“We have asked the Philippines charge to come into the State Department to clarify those remarks”, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said.
