Xi Jinping rejects Philippines' territorial claims in South China Sea
Chinese President Xi Jinping rejected Filipino claims to territory in the South China Sea in a bilateral meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday.
The rejection came even as Duterte brought up a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which found in favour of the Philippines' claims to the territory and disputed China's claims to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.
Though Xi rejected the 2016 ruling, Beijing has agreed to the formulation of a code of conduct in the South China Sea that would aim to avoid and resolve territorial conflicts in the region.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte had been "steadfast" in raising concerns about the Philippines's claim in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), but added that President Xi had reiterated his government’s position of not recognising the arbitral ruling.
Duterte, who is visiting China for the fifth time during his premiership, had faced mounting pressure to bring up the 2016 ruling after anti-China protesters took to the streets in June following a collision between a Filipino fishing boat and a Chinese vessel in a disputed part of the WPS.
However, Duterte also proposed a possible joint gas exploration in the WPS to Xi, with the Chinese leader telling his counterpart from Manila that a steering committee should prepare a "substantive program on the matter", according to Panelo.