Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is looking to warm the frosty relations between Manila and Beijing. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua expresses his will to enforce a friendly relationship between China and the Philippines. The ambassador is set to meet presumptive Philippine President Rody Duterte. He said that he is willing to directly talk to Duterte regarding the dispute over the South China Sea.
According to Southeast Asian Studies expert Gu Xiaosong, Duterte is likely to concentrate on strengthening the business and economic ties of the Philippines with other Southeast Asian countries. Xiaosong also said that Duterte's intention is focused on maintaining the good relationship between China and the Philippines.
Gu stated that the average Filipino citizen has not gained much from the six-year presidency of outgoing President Benigno Aquino III, despite the noticeable growth in the country's economy.
Duterte received "high support rate" from the Filipinos, according to Gu, which may translate to the eagerness of the citizens to experience more economic gains. This may trigger the new administration to focus on developing the Philippine economy.
Ei Sun Oh, a senior fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies of Nanyang Technological University, said, "Duterte may not take a soft stance on the South China Sea issue, but he will definitely be more flexible in terms of territorial disputes with China."
The domestic political climate of the Philippines, as well as the final decision on the arbitration case, suppresses the expected adjustment to the South China Sea policy of the Philippines, according to Li Kaisheng from the Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.
The associate research fellow also told the Global Times that the presumptive Vice President Leni Robredo is a member of the Liberal Party and might disagree with Duterte should he push to make important amendments to the said policy.
Duterte was congratulated by the Chinese foreign ministry. The ministry also expressed its hopes for the new Philippine president to foster support to the archipelago's bond with China.
