Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Photo : Getty Images)
The Philippines’ presumptive president Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte wants to be friendly with China in terms of maritime disputes, something a Washington-based think tank warns against.
According to AFP as posted on Channel News Asia, Duterte expressed his willingness to talk directly to China with regards to territorial disputes on the South China Sea while speaking with the press on Sunday.
"Well ties have never been cold. But I would rather be friendly with everybody," Duterte told reporters in Davao City located along the southern part of the archipelago.
According to him, he wanted closer ties with China and would not follow the footsteps of his predecessor, President Benigno Aquino III, who opted to bring the maritime dispute to an international court of arbitration instead of holding direct talks with the other country.
However, ADR Institute for International Studies (ADRi) believes that it would be better for the Philippines to continue challenging China's excessive claims over the territory, per a report from the Philippine Star.
The South China Sea/West Philippine Sea Dispute
According to AFP, China took over the rich fishing territory within the Philippines' economic exclusive zone known as the Scarborough Shoal in 2012.
This was not received very well in the archipelago and resulted in the Aquino administration filing a legal challenge to the United Nations tribunal and signing a new defense pact with the U.S.
This left China furious and demanded that the Philippines negotiate with them directly while insisting their claims over the territory.
Aquino responded by refusing to have bilateral talks for fear that the more powerful country has the upper hand and said that there was nothing to talk about if China continues to insist on their claims.
However, Duterte appears to be more open to talking to China, saying, "If the ship of negotiation is in still waters and there's no wind to push the sail, I might just decide to talk bilaterally with China."
Think Tank to Duterte: Continue Claims
A day before Duterte's statements surfaced, a report from the Philippine Star featured a recommendation from an American think tank.
According to the report, ADRi strongly recommends that the upcoming Philippine administration pursue the path that Aquino has started.
"While Asia recognizes that China has long been an important force for economic prosperity and security in the region, there is resistance when Beijing becomes overzealous in asserting this dominance," said ADRi President Dindo Manhit.
Manhit further recommended that the Philippines' new administration should have a foreign service that incorporates trade promotion, political and economic reporting, negotiation, and a push for a legislation called the National Security Act.
