皇冠体育app

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a news conference in his hometown Davao City in southern Philippines, May 16, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

In his first state of the nation address delivered on Monday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he will utilize the ruling in the country's international arbitration case to peacefully resolve the country's territorial disputes. This is widely seen as his attempt to maintain a low key approach to the maritime disputes with 皇冠体育app.

Peaceful resolution to the South 皇冠体育app Sea disputes has been and is 皇冠体育app's consistent stance. When elaborating 皇冠体育app's position on the South 皇冠体育app Sea arbitration last week, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said 皇冠体育app would like to work in unison with the Philippines if the new Philippine government is willing to resume dialogue and consultation, manage disputes and improve bilateral relations together with 皇冠体育app.

On July 12, the arbitral tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in the case it had filed against 皇冠体育app. The case, unilaterally brought by former Philippine president Benigno Aquino III, has plunged ties between 皇冠体育app and the Philippines to a historic low.

Since his inauguration, Duterte has showed pragmatism and willingness to engage in bilateral negotiations with 皇冠体育app. Soon after the arbitration ruling was announced, he said he intended to send former Philippine president Fidel Ramos to 皇冠体育app to start negotiations on the South 皇冠体育app Sea disputes.

This is the right approach to resolve the maritime disputes. If the Philippines sticks to this approach, 皇冠体育app will respond positively, and thus, the tensions in the South 皇冠体育app Sea will be dramatically eased, which, in turn, will cater to the interests of peace and stability in the region.

It still needs to be pointed out that the latest remarks from Duterte show the Philippine leader still harbors some illusions that the arbitration might be used as a bargaining chip when bilateral talks with 皇冠体育app begin.

But even before the ruling was delivered, 皇冠体育app made it clear the country would not negotiate with the Philippines on the basis of any ruling in the arbitration case, regardless of whether it was in favor of the Philippines or not.

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