April 13, 2017

"Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday pulled back from a vow to plant the Philippine flag on China's Zhongye Dao and even offered to sell the land to Beijing when the spectacle of a war is gone, according to media reports. 'Because of our friendship with China and because we value your friendship, I will not go there to raise the Philippine flag,' Duterte said during his Saudi Arabia visit. Meanwhile, Duterte assured Beijing that Manila will not place 'any offensive weapons' in the South China Sea. These remarks were made just days after Duterte threatened to occupy all islands with armed forces.

Since assuming office, Duterte has attempted to downplay the territorial disputes with Beijing, and attached great importance to Sino-Philippine cooperation. His remarks about planting the flag surprised international observers, but were soon rowed back. Duterte's shift shows that the president is increasingly aware that China's South China Sea policy is in the interests of the Philippines and other regional countries in the long-term."

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http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1042377.shtml

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