China today welcomed the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's plan to send a special envoy to Beijing for talks after winning the South China Sea international tribunal award, which struck down China's historic rights over the area.
Duterte said yesterday that he was asking former President Fidel Ramos to go to China to open bilateral talks, after a ruling by a tribunal on the South China Sea issue two days ago.
"We have noted the remarks by Duterte. Following his inauguration as President, he is saying that the Philippines is ready to properly deal with the South China Sea issue with China through bilateral negotiations and improve the relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang told media briefing here.
"China welcomes his remarks of sending an envoy to China to discuss the South China Sea issue," Lu said.
China has rejected the award saying that it is illegal and expressed willingness to hold direct talks with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei which contests Beijing's stand that 90 per cent of the South China Sea belongs to it.
"The door to settle the issue through dialogue and negotiation has never been closed," Lu said.
Commenting on the arbitration filed by the previous Philippinesgovernment, Lu reiterated China's position that it will not recognise and accept any proposition and action based on the award.
He expressed the belief that bilateral ties will be bright if the two sides try to solve their differences through dialogue and consultation.
"It is China's hope that the two countries will return to the consensus of settling related issue through dialogue and consultation, and work together to improve bilateral relations," Lu said.
"War is not an option. I will ask President Ramos to go to China and start the talks," Duterte was quoted as saying.
Bobby Tuazon, Director of Policy Studies at the Centre for People Empowerment in Governance, told the China's state-run Global Times that he thinks Duterte is committed to bilateral talks.
"Duterte's government will hold on to the arbitration ruling but will avoid using it as the leverage in negotiations with China, aware that the Beijing government will hedge on this point," he said.
Jin Canrong, deputy director of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times the arbitration ruling is unacceptable to China and respecting historical facts is China's "bottom line" which cannot be compromised.
