Duterte warns China to back off disputed island

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned Beijing to back off from a disputed island in the South China Sea, warning of possible military action if China “touches” it amid rising tensions over the key waterway. Duterte, aiming to attract trade and investment from the Asian superpower, has mostly withheld his early criticism of Beijing’s expansive claims to the sea — a point of regional contention because trillions of dollars of goods pass through it.

But as the Philippine military warned this week that hundreds of Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels had “swarmed” the Manila-held Pag-asa island, also known as Thitu, the Philippine president spoke out late Thursday.

“I will not plead or beg, but I am just telling you that lay off the Pag-asa because I have soldiers there,” Duterte said in speech to prosecutors.

“If you touch it, that’s another story. Then I will tell my soldiers ‘prepare for suicide missions’”, he added.

 

Duterte warns China to back off disputed island

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned Beijing to back off from a disputed island in the South China Sea, warning of possible military action if China touches it amid rising tensions over the key waterway. Duterte, aiming to attract trade and investment from the Asian superpower, has mostly withheld his early criticism of Beijings expansive claims to the sea a point of regional contention because trillions of dollars of goods pass through it. But as the Philippine military warned this week that hundreds of Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels had swarmed the Manila-held Pag-asa island, also known as Thitu, the Philippine president spoke out late Thursday. I will not plead or beg, but I am just telling you that lay off the Pag-asa because I have soldiers there, Duterte said in speech to prosecutors. If you touch it, thats another story. Then I will tell my soldiers prepare for suicide missions, he added.