Philippine patrols of South China Sea to continue, Duterte says

MANILA • Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will not withdraw navy and coast guard boats patrolling the disputed South China Sea, insisting that the country's sovereignty over the waters is not negotiable.

Tensions over the sea - which China claims almost entirely - have spiked as Beijing refuses to pull out its vessels from the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone and Manila steps up its maritime patrols.

Mr Duterte, who is under growing domestic pressure to take a harder line, has been reluctant to confront China over the issue as he fosters closer ties with the economic giant.

He said late on Wednesday that while the Philippines is indebted to its "good friend" China for many things, including free Covid-19 vaccines, his country's claims to the waterway "cannot be bargainable".

"I'll tell China, we do not want trouble, we do not want war. But if you tell us to leave - no," Mr Duterte said. "There are things which are not really subject to a compromise, such as us pulling back. It's difficult. I hope they understand, but I have the interest of my country also to protect."

Mr Duterte's remarks came after the country's defence department said "China has no business telling the Philippines what we can and cannot do with our own waters".

The Philippine coast guard is conducting drills near Thitu Island and Scarborough Shoal, as well as the Batanes islands in the north and the southern and eastern parts of the country.

Scarborough - one of the region's richest fishing grounds - has long been a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing.

In response to the exercises, China's foreign ministry said on Monday that Manila should "stop actions complicating the situation and escalating disputes".

In recent weeks, the Philippines has boosted "sovereignty patrols" involving the navy, coast guard and fisheries in the Spratly Islands - an archipelago contested by several countries.

Beijing has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that declared its historical claim over most of the South China Sea to be without basis.

Once-frosty relations between Manila and Beijing have warmed under Mr Duterte, who set aside the tribunal ruling in exchange for promises of Chinese trade and investment - which critics say have not materialised.

Meanwhile, delays in Covid-19 vaccine deliveries have left the Philippines heavily reliant on the CoronaVac jab developed by China's Sinovac.

About 3.5 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine have been sent to the South-east Asian country so far, including one million donated doses.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE