Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned yesterday of a “reckoning” with China if there was no resolution to a tense dispute over rival claims to the South China Sea.
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The United States, a close ally of the Philippines, said this week it was “deeply concerned” about the reports of extra-judicial drug killings and it urged Duterte’s government to ensure that law-enforcement efforts “comply with its human rights obligation”.
The arbitration court ruled that China had no historical title over the South China Sea and it had breached the Philippines’ sovereign rights. “We are looking at that possibility”, the Chinese envoy said. And we will not give it to them easily”, he said. “We will not allow any country to bamboozle us”.
“I hope China is dealing with us in good faith”.
An worldwide tribunal last month adjudicating on a Philippine petition struck down China’s claims over nearly all of the SCS and upheld Manila’s right in the area claimed by it.
Asked if a date had been set for the bilateral talks, Mr Duterte said, “Yes”.
Duterte said: “I guarantee to them, if you enter here, it will be bloody”.
While asserting the he will opt for a peaceful resolution and not pick a fight with China, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte seems to have issued a veiled warning against any attempt to infringe on his country’s territory. “We are there to talk peacefully”, Duterte said.
On the security side, the South China Sea will be a subject of discussion whether or not Duterte wants it to be, since the issue has assumed regional and global significance over the past few years.
Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos met with Chinese officials earlier this month in Hong Kong to try to pave the way for talks.
China rejects both the authority of the arbitration tribunal and the ruling, arguing that its claims are “indisputable”.
He said China has always been committed to solving disputes over the South China Sea through dialogue and negotiation with the countries directly related, including the Philippines, in order to maintain regional peace and stability.
China called the ruling a “farce”.
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However, China’s ambassador has already denied the allegation during his meeting with Yasay. Its construction work on reefs there has alarmed other claimants, as well as the United States and Japan.
