Duterte to despatch envoy to Beijing over S China Sea row

(Hot News Today • Friday 15 July 2016)Ex-President Ramos to Kickstart Talks Duterte to despatch envoy to Beijing over S China Sea row MANILA — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said yesterday he would send former leader Fidel Ramos to China for talks after an international tribunal ruled against Beijing’s claims to most of the disputed South China Sea. Mr. Duterte said he would ask former president Ramos to “go to China to start the talks” with Beijing after the United Nations-backed tribunal’s ruling on the strategically vital waters, though he did not specify a timeframe. “War ... is not an option. So what is the other side? Peaceful talks. I cannot give you the wherewithals now,” said Mr. Duterte at a college alumni meeting that was also attended by Mr. Ramos. “I have to consult many people, including (former) president Ramos. I would like to respectfully ask him to go to China and start the talks.” This came after the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department called on China to respect the decision and defied Chinese objections by saying it would raise the issue at a summit of Asian and European leaders in Mongolia starting today. China, which has already vowed to ignore Tuesday’s verdict by the UNbacked tribunal in The Hague, yesterday responded with another firm warning that it was in no mood to back down. China claims nearly all of the sea — which is of immense military importance and through which about US$5 trillion (S$6.7 trillion) worth of shipping trade passes annually. There are overlapping claims by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. China justifies its claims by saying it was the first to have discovered, named and exploited the disputed waters, and outlines its territory using a vague map made up of nine dashes that emerged in the 1940s. However, the tribunal sided with the Philippines in ruling that China’s claimed historic rights to resources within the nine-dash map had no legal basis. The Philippines filed the legal challenge against China in 2013 under Mr. Duterte’s predecessor, Mr. Benigno Aquino. Relations between Beijing and Manila plummeted over the row. Mr. Duterte, who took office on June 30, has said he wants better relations with China and to attract Chinese investment for major infrastructure projects. Unlike Mr. Aquino, Mr. Duterte has said he wants to talk directly with China over the issue. Beijing also wants to negotiate, but at the same time insists it will never concede on sovereignty. Mr. Ramos is known to favour close ties with China. But the 88-year-old hinted he might not accept the offer, citing his age and other commitments. Yesterday, ABS-CBN TV network reported that Chinese coast guard ships had blocked a Filipino fishing boat from approaching the disputed Scarborough Shoal. ABS-CBN journalist Chiara Zambrano reported that Chinese personnel on two speedboats approached and encircled the Filipino boat carrying her and local fishermen. One video the network aired showed the Filipino boat being tailed by a white Chinese coast-guard ship in an area Ms. Zambrano said was a few kilometres from Scarborough, where the local fishermen were blocked from entering to fish. Another video showed the Chinese personnel riding a speedboat,  using a bullhorn and ordering the Filipinos to leave “this area immediately”. Earlier in the day, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department issued a statement detailing Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay’s priorities when he attends a two-day Asia-Europe summit (Asem) in Mongolia along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Asem is the first high-level multilateral event to take place after Tuesday’s Hague ruling. “Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of Asem’s agenda the Philippines’ peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the  recent decision,” said the Foreign  Affairs department in a statement. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou insisted on Monday the Asem meeting was “not an appropriate venue” to discuss the South China Sea.  AGENCIES