Philippines threatens to 'deal with' China if the South China Sea issue remains unresolved.

Philippine President Duterte threatened on August 24 to "deal with" China if the two sides do not find a solution to the South China Sea dispute.

According toAFPDuterte's statement comes amidst the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in July, which rejected China's so-called "historical sovereignty" over most of the South China Sea.

Satellite images show China reclaiming land at Mischief Reef in the South China Sea. (AFP photo)

However, according to experts, Duterte's latest statement is surprising because the Philippine president has repeatedly stated that he does not want to "anger" China with harsh measures. Instead, Duterte sent his special envoy – former Philippine President Fidel Ramos – to China to ease tensions between the two sides.

Nevertheless, Duterte's latest statement suggests he is ready to take tough confrontational measures if necessary. Speaking to Philippine soldiers, Duterte emphasized: "We will not act rashly right now because we need to wait for China's reaction after the PCA ruling. However, the time will come when we need to thoroughly address this."

Previously, China had publicly stated that it would ignore the PCA ruling and called for direct dialogue with the Philippines.

In response, Duterte declared that the Philippines would not "strictly" force China to comply with the PCA ruling. However, at this point, Duterte has "signaled" that he may change his stance.

"China can choose its own stance because whether they like it or not, not only the Philippines but all Southeast Asian countries will speak out demanding that all parties abide by the PCA ruling," Duterte emphasized.

Duterte also warned China – which has a military capability many times greater than that of the Philippines – against attempting to attack the Philippines.

"I assure you that if China attempts to encroach upon Philippine territory, there will be bloodshed because we will not let them do it easily. This will be remembered not only by Philippine soldiers but also by myself," Duterte affirmed.

According to VOV