蜜桃工作室

(Updated, 4:18 p.m.) BEIJING鈥擳he Philippine government will not abandon the United Nations-backed arbitral ruling that rejected China鈥檚 expansive claims in South China Sea amid President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 efforts to mend the strained relations with China, a Philippine diplomat said聽Saturday.

鈥淲hat we have won legally, we will not abandon nor give up,鈥� Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana told reporters here.

READ: PH to 鈥榮trictly adhere鈥� to UN arbitral ruling

Duterte has said he would use a 鈥渟oft landing鈥� approach in dealing with the Philippines鈥� maritime dispute with China and has engaged into bilateral talks instead of pressing the issue on China.

Sta. Romana said the Duterte government has decided to put the issue on a 鈥渟eparate track鈥� so as not to derail the Philippines鈥� improving relations with China.

鈥淏ecause if you keep on forcing the issue, it will just lead to possible conflict and confrontation,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he problem is, if you put the disputes in the front and center of bilateral relations, that you have to resolve this first before you can have trade, before you can have cultural links and so on, the results is the relations will be frozen,鈥� he added.

Dual-track strategy

Sta. Romana said the government is employing a different strategy this time, saying that it wants to prevent a row with China from escalating.

鈥淪o the basic approach of the Duterte administration has been to put it on separate tracks. Take the dispute from the front and center, put it on a separate track and there you can discuss it, you deal with it one by one鈥搕he issue of the South China Sea, the issue of ownership, sovereignity issue, the issue if the tribunal award and the issue of the nine-dash line,鈥� he said.

鈥淚n doing that, you open another track for areas where there are no disputes and that is the strategy we are following鈥攑romoting economics, trade, commerce, educational exchange, cultural exchange, promoting sports,鈥� he added.

But the envoy clarified that putting the issue on a separate track doesn鈥檛 mean the government was giving up on the country鈥檚 claims in the disputed sea.

鈥淚f you put the dispute on the center (of the discussion), it will poison the atmosphere,鈥� he said.

He said the Philippines was now on a 鈥渘ew chapter our bilateral relations鈥� with China under the Duterte administration.

He said the improved relations could be tainted if the sea dispute won鈥檛 be 鈥渉andled properly.鈥�

鈥淚t could if it鈥檚 not handled properly like what we have experienced in the past couple of years,鈥� he said.

During the administration of former president Benigno Aquino III, the government was aggressive in pushing for the country鈥檚 rights over the South China Sea.

READ: 鈥楧uterte won鈥檛 waste efforts of past admins in South China Sea issue鈥�

He said the government was considering national interest in dealing with the issue on the disputed sea and 鈥減art of our national interest is to promote peace and stability in the South China Sea.鈥�

鈥楨arly harvest鈥�

Sta. Romana cited the gains of the government鈥檚 diplomatic approach with China in dealing with the maritime dispute.

Compared to previous years where Filipino fishermen have been blocked and harassed in the rich fishing ground near the disputed shoals, he said 鈥淔ilipino fishermen can now fish in the Scarborough Shoal.鈥�

鈥淪o that already is a sign of an early harvest,鈥� he said.

He said Philippine products such as tropical fruits were already seen in Chinese markets, which he said was a product of聽 warmer ties between the two countries.

Interest on the South China Sea issue is high as Duterte is set to arrive here聽on Saturday聽night to attend the 鈥淥ne Belt, One Road鈥� forum.

He is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping聽on Sunday. IDL