Duterte to China: Temper behavior in SCS

MANILA, Philippines — China should “temper” its behavior in the South China Sea to avoid friction with the United States, President Duterte said, as he warned that the region could become a flashpoint if tensions over the disputed areas persist. 

Duterte, who has been accused of cozying up too much to China in exchange for Chinese aid, said Beijing could not claim the air space above its artificial islands because of the right of innocent passage.  

“They (China) have to rethink that because that would be a flashpoint someday... You cannot create an island. It’s man-made and you say that the air above this artificial island is yours. That is wrong because those waters are international sea. And the right of innocent passage is guaranteed,” Duterte said during the launching of the Pilipinas Angat Lahat entrepreneurship alliance last Tuesday at Malacañang.

“It does not need any permission to sail through the open seas. And if it’s (near) a territorial water, you guarantee what you would call the right of innocent passage. So I hope that China would temper... at least its behavior,” he added. 

Duterte said he does not want to quarrel with China, which is claiming about 90 percent of the resource-rich South China Sea. The President, however, said China’s actions may cause a rift with the US, which has been critical of China’s buildup in disputed areas. 

“But at this time, because you (China) will create… America instead of avoiding – ‘get out, get out,’ China would say ‘we go in, we go in,’” Duterte said. 

“And get out and get out, and one of these days, a hothead commander there would just press a trigger,” he added. 

China has built structures on Kagitingan (Fiery Cross), Panganiban (Mischief), Zamora (Subi), Burgos (Gaven), Kennan (Hughes), Mabini (Johnson South) and Calderon (Cuarteron) reefs, South China Sea areas off Palawan that are also claimed by the Philippines.