Philippines threatens to 'deal with' China if deadlock persists over East Sea issue

Philippine President Duterte threatened on August 24 to “deal with” China if the two sides cannot find a solution to the East Sea dispute.

According toAFP, the above statement was made by Mr. Duterte in the context of the ruling announced by the International Court of Arbitration (PCA) last July, rejecting China's so-called "historical sovereignty" over most of the East Sea.

Satellite image of China reclaiming Vanh Khan Reef in the East Sea. Photo AFP

However, according to experts, Mr. Duterte’s latest statement is full of surprises because the Philippine President has repeatedly stated that he does not want to “anger” China with tough measures. Instead, Mr. Duterte has sent his special envoy - former Philippine President Fidel Ramos - to China to ease tensions between the two sides.

However, Mr. Duterte’s statement this time shows that he is ready to apply tough confrontational measures if necessary. Speaking to Philippine soldiers, Mr. Duterte emphasized: “We will not be harsh right now because we need to wait for China’s reaction after the PCA’s ruling. However, there will come a time when we need to thoroughly handle this.”

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

In response, Mr. Duterte declared that the Philippines would not “insist” on China complying with the PCA’s ruling. However, up to this point, Mr. Duterte has “signaled” that he will change his position.

“China can freely choose its position because whether it wants it or not, not only the Philippines but all Southeast Asian countries will speak up to demand that all parties comply with the PCA's ruling,” Mr. Duterte emphasized.

Mr. Duterte also warned China - which has a military potential many times stronger than the Philippines - not to seek to attack the Philippines.

“I assure you that if China tries to invade Philippine territory, there will be bloodshed because we will not let them do it easily. This will be remembered not only by the Philippine soldiers but also by me,” Mr. Duterte affirmed./.

According to VOV