PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday visited China’s guided missile destroyer Chang Chun that docked in Davao City last Sunday for a goodwill visit.
The port call of Chinese warship in Duterte’s home province showed the warming ties between China and the Philippines as the President maintained the position not to insist the arbitral ruling on the disputed South China Sea.
Speaking to reporters, Duterte said he was very impressed after inspecting the warship as it looks like a “luxury hotel.”
“[China’s guided missile destroyer Chang Chung is] very impressive. It’s clean and even the carpeting, it’s all carpeted and it’s like a hotel actually,” the President said.
The visit of Chinese Navy’s Chang Chun came after the meeting of the leaders of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Manila.
The Asean, in its joint statement, skipped mention of China’s arbitration loss and its land reclamation and militarization in the contested waters.
The statement, which was issued early Sunday, merely “reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation and over-flight in and above the South China Sea.”
Southeast Asian leaders also emphasized the “importance of the full and effective implementation of the declaration on the conduct of parties in the South China Sea in its entirety.”
Asean member-states Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam are claimants of parts of the South China Sea.
Other Asean leaders had reportedly called to mention the need to avoid “land reclamation and militarization that may further complicate the situation” in Asean chair’s message but the wordings were removed in the final joint statement.
Duterte earlier said the Hague-based ruling that invalidated China’s claim to the disputed island is “non-issue” among Asean members and an issue that concerns only “the Philippines and China.”
China’s warship will stay in Davao City until May 3.
Developing structures in West PH Sea to push through
Meanwhile, the overhaul of structures and facilities in the islands in the contested West Philippine Sea would proceed as planned, Duterte.
Duterte made the statement even after Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua said the Philippines’ position to develop Pagasa island in the disputed waters is “illegal.”
“It will just be repaired. Well, look the way around. We have been there since 1974 by the way,” the President told reporters during the same event.
“Yes, of course, [the development in the island will push through] because that is part of our duty as a nation,” he added.
Zhao acknowledged the warm relations between China and the Philippines but stressed that the Chinese government opposed the Duterte administration’s plan to repair the facilities in Pagasa island.
He deemed the Philippine government’s plan as “illegal.”
"Our future line is quite clear: we view the occupation by the Philippines side of those islands are illegal and so the buildings on it are also illegal,” Zhao said.
But amid the escalating tensions on the resource-rich South China Sea, Duterte reiterated his position in October last year that he is open to hold joint military exercises with China.
Duterte said China and the Philippine may conduct joint military drills in Mindanao.
“Yes, I said I agree. We can have a joint exercise here in Mindanao, maybe in Sulu Sea,” the President said. (SunStar Philippines)