BEIJING (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, Duterte reportedly said that he would expect talks to be held with China on the South China Sea dispute within a year, stressing that Philippines would not raise the issue at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in September.
"China welcomes the statement made by [Philippine] President Duterte that the Philippines won't raise the issue of the Arbitration's decision concerning the South China Sea at the upcoming summit," Lu Kang said at a briefing.
Beijing hopes for a peaceful settlement of the dispute through consultations and negotiations with the countries directly involved, and is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea together with the ASEAN countries, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman stressed.
A number of disputed islands, including the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands, are located in the South China Sea. Beijing’s territorial claims to the Spratly Islands, known as Nansha Islands in China, which are believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves, run counter to those of the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.
On July 12, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to South China Sea resources and has violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines in the country's exclusive economic zone.
