PH, China restart talks on sea row

BILATERAL TALKS Philippine and Chinese officials meet at the Great Hall of the People.

BEIJING—China and the Philippines agreed on Thursday that disputes in the South China Sea were not the sum total of their relations, and that the two countries would restore diplomatic and defense consultations, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said.

Liu made the comments to reporters at the Great Hall of the People where Chinese President Xi Jinping and Philippine President Duterte held talks.

He also said China would restore Philippine agricultural exports to China and that Beijing would provide financing for Philippine infrastructure.

Victory for China

The resumption of talks on the South China Sea dispute appeared to be a diplomatic victory for Beijing several months after the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated China’s expansive claims over the resource-rich waters in a case brought by the Philippines.

Mr. Duterte met with Xi in Beijing as part of a charm offensive aimed at seeking trade and support from China by setting aside the thorny territorial dispute.

Mr. Duterte hailed a warming of relations with China and said that ties between them go back centuries.

“China has been a friend of the Philippines and the roots of our bonds are very deep and not easily severed,” he told Xi in his opening remarks.

“Even as we arrive in Beijing, close to winter, this is a springtime of our relationship,” he added.

Xi said the meeting had “milestone significance.”

In a reference to the South China Sea tensions, Xi said that “although we have weathered storms, the basis of our friendship and our desire for cooperation has not changed.”

Xi told Mr. Duterte during their meeting that China and the Philippines were brothers and that the two sides could “appropriately handle disputes,” though he did not specifically mention the South China Sea row.

“I hope we can follow the wishes of the people and use this visit as an opportunity to push China-Philippines relations back on a friendly footing and fully improve things,” he said.

Xi also extended his sympathies to Mr. Duterte over the destruction caused by Supertyphoon “Haima” (Philippine name: Lawin), which killed at least eight people in northern Philippines on Thursday.

Return to dialogue

Following the talks, Liu told reporters that the two leaders touched on the South China Sea dispute only briefly.

“Both sides agreed that the South China Sea issue is not the sum total of the bilateral relationship,” Liu said.

The two sides agreed to return to the approach used five years ago of seeking a settlement through bilateral dialogue, he said.

Philippine diplomats could not be immediately contacted for comment.

The talks had been suspended after China seized control of Scarborough Shoal, off the main Philippine island of Luzon, and the Philippines launched the arbitration process under Mr. Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III.

The Philippines has in the past insisted that the ruling form the basis for any negotiations with China, while Beijing, which has rejected the decision, has insisted on the opposite.

Mr. Duterte was greeted by Xi with full military honors at the Great Hall of the People, the seat of the ceremonial legislature in the heart of Beijing.

The two leaders oversaw the signing of agreements between their governments.

China has framed Mr. Duterte’s visit as a step toward ending years of estrangement between the two countries.

Mr. Duterte has walked a tightrope in trying to mend damaged relations with China while defending the Philippines’ claims in the disputed South China Sea.

Courtesy

In Beijing, Mr. Duterte, who is known for his devil-may-care, profanity-laden speeches, said on Wednesday he would not raise the issue that had angered China unless his Chinese counterpart first brought it up, out of “courtesy” to his host.

“As a matter of courtesy and in the Oriental way, you always wait,” Mr. Duterte said ahead of a meeting with members of the Filipino community in Beijing. “Because I am a visitor, can’t destroy the goodwill by just blurting out something.”

He also signaled a major shift in reliance on the United States, the Philippines’ longstanding defense treaty ally, telling the Filipino community members: “So it’s about time to say goodbye, my friend. Your stay in my country was for your own benefit.”

The overtures to Beijing have drawn criticism of Mr. Duterte at home in the Philippines, where the public is wary of taking a deferential attitude to a country regarded as a bully.

His visit is being watched by Washington for signs of just how seriously he intends to pursue a shift away from the United States and toward China, a move that could have a major impact on regional power dynamics. —WIRE REPORTS

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