South China Sea: Philippines expects talks with China on sea feud this year

PHILIPPINES President Rodrigo Duterte said bilateral talks with China over their long-simmering territorial dispute are likely to kick off this year.

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte says he expects talks with China on a long-simmering territorial dispute to start this year, and urged Beijing to allow Filipinos to fish at a disputed shoal.

Duterte said yesterday he prefers to engage China in a diplomatic dialogue rather than take a more aggressive stance that could anger Chinese officials into calling off possible talks.

Asked if a date had been set for the bilateral talks, Duterte said, “Yes. Nearer than you think. Within the year, maybe.”

Former President Fidel Ramos, a key political backer of Duterte, met Chinese intermediaries recently to pave the way for the talks, to be held in Beijing.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (left) talks with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua during a 115th Police Service anniversary event in Manila. Picture: Noel Celis/Pool Photo via AP

An international arbitration tribunal ruled last month that China’s massive territorial claims in the South China Sea based on historical grounds were invalid under a 1982 UN treaty, in a major setback for Beijing, which has ignored the decision.

Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, initiated the arbitration case against China. Duterte, however, has not pressed for Chinese compliance and does not plan to raise the decision at an annual summit of Southeast Asian leaders with their Chinese counterpart in Laos next month.

“It’s better to continually engage China in a diplomatic dialogue rather than anger whoever the officials there and they cut completely,” Duterte said, adding that possible talks on maritime and security issues would be undermined if ties are strained.

“China should be hearing us out now, about time that you lift the bans on tourists and allow the Filipinos to fish there,” Duterte said, referring to past Chinese restrictions on tourism and on access for Filipino fishermen to Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing seized in 2012.

A Japanese Coast Guard ship PLH02 Tsugaru (background) and Philippine Coast Guard boat (centre) participate in a joint anti-piracy exercise in the waters off Manila Bay. Picture: AFP/Ted Aljibe

Aside from China and the Philippines, four other governments are contesting ownership of parts of the South China Sea, a busy passageway for shipping. The region is also believed to sit atop sizeable deposits of gas and oil.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has instructed the military to increase maritime patrols over the waters off Natuna Islands in response to increasing tensions with China, which it claims has up to 20,000 militia fishermen in the region.

The news comes after China staged “war-games” in the Sea of Japan — simulating a bomber attack on a naval task force — as Tokyo revealed it has been warned not to cross a “red line” in the South China Sea.