The country’s incoming president Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said the Philippines will not back down from its claim in the West Philippine Sea, but is open to negotiations with China.
Before meeting Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua, Duterte told reporters “they (China) are there illegaly, whether they want to believe it or not.”
“Duterte, who said during his campaign the Philippines could afford to be softer on China, said this did not mean he would drop the claims in exchange for economic and trade concessions from Beijing,” said in Gulf Times report.
“I said soft in the sense that I do not want to go to war,” Duterte said. “But if you mean soft to renege or to relent, that is impossible, very impossible.”
The Chinese ambassador was impressed saying Duterte has “a very good conversation.”
“The Chinese side is looking forward to working with him and his team,” Zhao told reporters after the meeting.
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