(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he would clarify with China its plans in the South China Sea.
In a press conference prior to his departure for the Association of Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam on Wednesday, Duterte said that while he was grateful for China’s help in Marawi, it was “about time” he asked whether China wanted a controlled passage or a free passage in the area.
“This is for the sake of my country and the others that have overlapping claims,” Duterte said.
He emphasized, however, that “we are all for a peaceful negotiation” as “prescribed” by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa iyo. I do not deny that. But let us be clear on what we intend to do here because it will eventually affect the entire archipelago,” he said.
