Hague Ruling Off Duterte’s Agenda for China Trip

South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)

13 October 2016

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is not expected to raise an international tribunal ruling over the disputed South China Sea during his trip to Beijing next week, according to the head of a Chinese government-affiliated think tank who met Duterte’s special envoy in Hong Kong two months ago.

Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said the two sides were likely to issue a joint statement covering other issues in the disputed waters.

China’s foreign ministry confirmed on Wednesday that Duterte would meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang during the visit on October 18-21.

… Li Mingjiang, an associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said that even if Duterte did not raise the tribunal ruling during his visit, it did not mean Manila was giving up its South China Sea claims.

“To a large extent, dropping the subject does not mean the Philippines will give up its sovereignty claim, but rather it’s a way of diluting the consequences of the South China Sea ruling and mending frayed ties with China,” Li said.

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