Philippines, China to hold direct talks on sea row
March 29, 2017
China and the Philippines will hold direct talks on their maritime dispute in May, Filipino officials said Wednesday, as President Rodrigo Duterte seeks stronger economic ties with Beijing. Last year a UN-backed international tribunal rejected Beijing’s claims to most of the South China Sea, including disputed areas close to the coasts of its neighbors. Duterte, elected last year, has played down that ruling and pushed for rapprochement with China. Beijing this week offered to host a meeting in May of a “bilateral consultation mechanism” to tackle issues related to the sea row, the Philippine foreign department said. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, despite partial counter-claims from Brunei, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. (AFP)