(Eagle News)– President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night reiterated the country had sovereign rights over its claims in the South China Sea.
The President made the assertion before the Chinese ambassador Zhao Jianhua and Filipino-Chinese businessmen, among others.
“It has been the claim of the Republic of the Philippines na atin ‘yan… which we call before the China Sea, now the West Philippine Sea,” Duterte said.
He also noted that the Philippine Rise was ours.
“So ang sabi nila, Benham or the Philippine Rise and I would insist on the Philippine Rise because that is ours period,” Duterte said.
Even then, Duterte said that war with China was not an option.
He said the two countries “can only be talking on friendly and civilized terms.”
He noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping himself had committed to not building anything on Scarborough Shoal, located off the Palawan coast.
“Si Xi Jinping mismo nagsabi and he’s a man of honor,” Duterte said.
“Gusto ninyo gawain niyo na lang kaming province, Fujian, Philippine province of China. Eh di wala tayong problema. Libre na lahat. Province of the Philippines, Republic of China. The nearest is Fujian. Hayaan mo na lang ‘yung Taipei… Pagkaliit liit… Let it float there,” Duterte joked, to laughs from the audience.
Relations between China and the Philippines have drastically improved upon Duterte’s assumption of office.
His predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, employed a hard stance against the Chinese, who were brought to the Permanent Court of Arbitration that eventually ruled in the Philippines’ favor.