China’s President Xi Jinping on Wednesday hailed the “dialogue” between Beijing and Manila over their border dispute in the South China Sea during a phone call with President Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte is loosening the Philippines’ long alliance with the United States while strengthening ties with China and Russia, saying this week he might turn down an invitation from US President Donald Trump to visit the US.
The call came two days after Duterte toured a visiting Chinese warship in Davao in a display of warming ties with Beijing.
“The mutual political trust (between China and the Philippines) continues to grow and our cooperation is flourishing in all areas,” Xi said, according to Chinese state media.
“Channels of dialogue and negotiation on the South China Sea issue have also been set up, which will benefit the fundamental interests of our two countries,” he said.
In contrast to his predecessor Benigno Aquino III, Duterte has pursued close relations with China despite the territorial dispute.
Aquino in 2013 took China to a United Nations-backed arbitration tribunal over the maritime row.
The tribunal last year rejected China’s claim over most of the South China Sea, but Beijing has ignored the ruling.
Duterte vowed after his election last year not to “taunt or flaunt” the ruling, saying he did not want to go to war with China.
On Monday, Duterte said he could not commit to visiting the US president because of a busy schedule, even though no firm date has yet been proposed.
Nevertheless, Duterte said relations with the US were improving now that Trump had taken over from Barack Obama, whom Duterte accused of imposing American standards on the Philippines. (Agence France Presse)
