‘Someone will press a trigger’: Duterte says China’s claim to disputed islands’ airspace ‘is wrong’ and could be ‘flashpoint’ for conflict
2018-08-15 10:06:22 source：South China Morning Post
August 15, 2018
The Philippine president said on Tuesday that China’s claim to airspace above newly built islands and surrounding waters in the disputed South China Sea “is wrong” and that Beijing’s demands that others leave those areas could become a “flashpoint” for conflict.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks in a speech to an audience that included the American ambassador and other foreign guests were a rare public criticism of China, which he has refused to antagonise to nurture closer relations.
“They have to rethink that, because that would be a flashpoint someday and even, you know, warning others,” Duterte said of China’s actions to uphold its claims in the disputed waters.
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