Duterte plans China visit to discuss South China Sea ruling

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will soon meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to discuss a 2016 arbitration case over the South China Sea, his spokesman said yesterday, as domestic pressure grows on the firebrand leader to stand up to Beijing.

Despite his huge popularity and polls consistently delivering an approval rating of 80 per cent and over, the same surveys have shown Filipinos have little trust of China and want their government to stand up to perceived maritime bullying.

Among the most contentious issues is Duterte’s decision to set aside a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague to curry favour with Beijing, in exchange for vague pledges of billion-dollar investment packages that largely have yet to materialise.

That ruling made clear numerous Philippines maritime entitlements under international law and effectively invalidated China’s controversial nine-dash line claim to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said he had asked Duterte whose idea it was to hold fresh talks with Xi.

“Remember that I said before that there will be a time when I will invoke that arbitral ruling?,” Panelo told a regular briefing, quoting Duterte.

“’This is the time. That’s why I am going there’ - that’s what he said,” Panelo added.

He did not give a date for Duterte’s trip to China but said it was likely before the end of this month. — Reuters