China and
the Philippines will start bilateral consultations on the disputed South China
Sea this week, the Philippine ambassador to Beijing said, as Manila looks to
ease
tensions with Asia's top economic power.
Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte, who is visiting Beijing this weekend to attend a
summit on China's new Silk Road plan, has opted to court China for its business
and investment and avoid rows over sovereignty that dogged his predecessors.
Philippine
Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Santa Romana told reporters late on Saturday
that the consultations between the two countries would take place in a Chinese
city, but declined to name it.
He added
that the dispute between the two countries "cannot be resolved
overnight."
China has
not publicly announced any such talks.
Duterte has
been accused by critics of taking a defeatist position on China and on
defending Philippine sovereignty. He considers his approach is pragmatic and
says challenging China risks triggering a war.
Santa Romana
said Duterte's attendance at the China summit should not be seen as the
Philippines abandoning or "giving up" its claim of sovereignty in the
South China Sea.
The previous
Philippine government in 2013 filed a case with the Permanent Court of
Arbitration in The Hague to set the record straight on maritime boundaries. The
tribunal did that last year, and invalidated China's claim to sovereignty over
most of the South China Sea.
Duterte has
put the ruling on the back burner and said he will revisit it later in his
term.
Santa Romana
defended Duterte's position, saying Manila was "proceeding from our own
interests".
China claims
most of the energy-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in
ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
Duterte
visited China last October for an ice-breaking trip after bilateral relations
soured over the South China Sea under the previous Philippine administration of
Benigno Aquino.
The detente
has seen China commit to three infrastructure projects and pledge to donate two
bridges, said the ambassador, without giving an investment figure.
China has
also eased import curbs on Philippine bananas, he said.
"If you
go around Beijing right now and you go to the market, you will see ...
Philippine bananas. The Chinese are eating Philippine bananas again and Philippine
pineapples," Santa Romana said.
"They
have promised to buy over $1 billion worth of tropical fruits from the
Philippines and they are interested to buy more."
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