VP Sara: Philippines should negotiate, not confront China over WPS

Vice President Sara Duterte called for a team of diplomats and negotiators to handle the Philippines' maritime dispute with China, saying dialogue was preferable to confrontation given the two countries' unequal military capabilities.

Speaking to overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong on Sunday, Nov. 8, Duterte said the dispute should not be handled through social media exchanges or aggressive actions at sea.

“The Philippines’ guns are no match to China’s firearms,” she said.

“That is not how you address conflict resolution. This should be handled by people who are experts in negotiation for the Philippines,” she added.

She also urged the government to consider Filipinos working and doing business in China, saying many depend on opportunities there.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in a statement on Sunday, said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directs the country's foreign policy and government officials must align their public positions with his administration's policy.

Malacañang likewise said on 4 November that diplomacy with China could proceed alongside efforts by Philippine officials to defend the country's rights and interests in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines and China have repeatedly clashed over maritime activities in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely, including waters within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

A 2016 arbitral ruling invalidated the legal basis of China's expansive claims under its nine-dash line. Beijing has rejected the decision.