Philippines prefers dialog, not confrontation with China in dispute

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to lead a “soft” and independent course in dealing with its territorial dispute with China, saying he is “not fan” of the United states and its regional policies.

“I am not a fan of the Americans,” Duterte said on Saturday, adding, “Filipinos should be first before everybody else.”

He was speaking to reporters on arrival in his hometown of Davao, after returning from the 29th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was held in Vientiane, Laos.

“In our relations to the world, the Philippines will pursue an independent foreign policy. I repeat: The Philippines will pursue an independent foreign policy,” the Philippine president emphasized.

The Philippines is involved in a territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea.

The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration in July ruled in a case brought by Manila that China’s claims to sovereignty over the disputed areas in the South China Sea or its resources “had no legal basis.”

The tribunal also accused Beijing of violating the Philippines’ economic and sovereign rights. China, however, rejected the ruling, saying the court had no jurisdiction over the issue.

Duterte’s latest remarks were more of a pragmatic nature than a conciliatory one, as he justified his soft stance on the dispute with China by highlighting his country’s weak military power.

“I assured everybody that there are only two options there: We go to fight, which we cannot afford at all, or talk,” he said, apparently referring to assurances he made during the ASEAN summit.

His remarks also mark a divergence from the more hostile position held by the US. Washington routinely pops in the regional dispute to take sides with China’s rival claimants.

SS