Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay told lawmakers on Tuesday that unless China respects the ruling of the arbitral tribunal in the West Philippine (South China) Sea, China will emerge as the “loser” in its sea dispute with the Philippines.
“We are trying to make China understand especially when the dust settles that unless they respect and recognize the arbitral tribunal, they will be the losers at the end of that day on this matter,” he said.
Any bilateral talks with China on disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea would have to be done within the context of the ruling of the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration favoring the Philippines’ claims according to Yasay.
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