Duterte wants to confront China militarily, but in a ‘friendly way’

Hard stance Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered his military to assert ownership of Benham Rise area to Beijing – but in a nice way.

Duterte says he instructed the military to assert Philippine ownership of the large ocean region off the country’s northeastern coast where China’s survey ships were spotted last year.

Read also: 34 people feared dead in Haiti after bus rams into crowd of bystanders

He however noted that he ordered the military to claim the area in a friendly way, repeating his country has no option but to be diplomatic because it “cannot match the might of China”.

“My order to my military, you go there and tell them straight that this is ours, but I say it in friendship,” Duterte said in a news conference when asked about the issue in the Pacific Ocean.

According to defence chief Delfin Lorenzana, the Philippine military spotted the Chinese survey ships suspiciously crisscrossing the Benham Rise waters from July to December last year forcing the country to assert ownership of the area.

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now