Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has mostly withheld his early criticism of Beijing’s expansive claims to the sea.
But as the Philippine military warned this week that hundreds of Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels had “swarmed” the Manila-held Pag-asa island, also known as Thitu, the Philippine president spoke out late Thursday. Duterte has repeatedly said war with China would be futile and that the Philippines would lose and suffer heavily in the process.
In a major victory for Manila, an international maritime tribunal ruled early in Duterte’s presidency in 2016 that China’s claims to the area have no legal basis. For its part, Beijing has downplayed the rising tension over Pag-asa, saying on Thursday that both sides had “exchanged views frankly, amicably and constructively” on the issue.