Philippines to send envoy to China over sea row

July 15, 2016 03:47

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday he would send ex-leader Fidel Ramos to China for talks after an international tribunal ruled against Beijing's claims to most of the disputed South China Sea.

Duterte asked former president Ramos "go to China to start the talks" with Beijing after the UN-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," Duterte said at a college alumni meeting that was also attended by Ramos.

"I have to consult many people, including president Ramos. I would like to respectfully ask him to go to China and start the talks."

Duterte's remarks came after a UN-backed international tribunal on Tuesday ruled against China's claim to most of the South China Sea in what is widely seen as a diplomatic victory for the Philippines.

However, the decision has also raised tensions with China refusing to recognise it and warning its rivals that too much pressure on the issue could turn the resource-rich waterway into a "cradle of war".

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