“YOU will see me more often in China.”
So said President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday during a speech at the inauguration of a power plant in Misamis Oriental as he revealed that he would hold talks with Beijing officials on an urgent matter: fishing rights.
“One of the things that I would demand if I go to the mainland China is, ‘Give us back our fishing rights.’ That’s one,” he said.
Reports said Duterte would likely to visit China by the end of October.
On July 12, The United Nations arbitral tribunal favored the Philippines sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea (in the South China Sea) and that China’s “nine-dash line” was invalid.
During his speech, the President said the Philippines and China may engaged into a venture involving gas resources in the dispute sea like the proposed joint venture between the two countries during the time Arroyo administration.
Duterte also said in his speech that he would raise before the Chinese government the UN ruling favoring the Philippine maritime claims.
“Kung kami na lang nandoon, I will present this problem, here is this piece of paper, our arbitral award, we do not go out of the 4 corners of this paper. We talk. Pero hindi ‘yung magtatapang-tapangan tayo,” he said.
The President said the partnership between the government and China would continue.
“Negosyo na lang. Kita mo, tumulong sila gumawa ng power plant. Imagine if we can get their help in the years to come,” he said.
In his speech, however, Duterte said he would not depend on the United States, a longtime ally of the Philippines.
“We cannot depend on anybody except us. I do not expect you, US, to die for us so we just have to navigate our way around,” he said.