Amid the rising criticism and public outrage on the South China Sea dispute, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said that he trusts China that it will abide by its word. According to the President, China promised him that the country will not touch Scarborough Shoal.
Duterte said, "I was informed that they are not going to do anything at Panatag out of respect for our friendship."
Panatag is the local name of Scarborough Shoal. He explained that the Chinese government said, "We will build nothing there."
"They are not going to build anything . . . because they do not want to jeopardize our friendship," he added.
The spokesperson from the Chinese foreign ministry, Hua Chunying, said that the reports of China's research center on the shoal were untrue and China is not building a monitoring station there.
China banned Filipino fishermen from going near the shoal in 2012, but it was lifted during Duterte's administration.
Duterte also blamed the U.S. for escalating the tension on the dispute in the South China Sea. He also blamed the Obama administration for pressuring the Philippines to take a stand against China without giving military support.
He said, "You go there in the pretense of challenging them? One single solitary shot, it could lead to an explosion and it could lead to a war and it will be a slaughter."
Duterte also asked why the White House failed in helping the Philippines claim the islands. He said, "Why did you not reprimand them? Why did you not send five aircraft carriers?"
"And you had to wait for the problem to ripen to an international issue involving, this time, so many countries. You could have cut the problem in the bud had you taken a decisive action," he added.
The Philippine president said that he told China that they should share offshore energy resources found in the disputed shoal.