President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday declared an end to joint military exercise with US forces, saying the upcoming scheduled war games would be the "last one."
Duterte said during a two-day visit in Vietnam that he wants to establish new trade and commercial alliances with China and Russia, and that the war games were something Beijing does not want.
Duterte also added that the Philippines would not participate in join patrols in the South China Sea "with gray ships."
The UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in July ruled that China has no historic rights to resources within the South China Sea areas falling within their nine-dash line claim.
China reacted furiously, saying it “neither accepts or recognizes” the ruling.
“Our conflict with China is not really... is more of an imaginary thing. What I mean to say is, we cannot go to war (with China) just because there is that award,” he said.
Duterte reiterated he will not abandon the arbitration ruling with regard to China but stressed Manila cannot win if it launches a war with Beijing even with the help of Washington.
“Either we go to war or we talk. We cannot prevail over China. I am telling you, even with the help of America,” he said.
Duterte stressed that he does not want to join patrols with the US in the South China Sea amid the maritime dispute with China.
Duterte also told the gathering of a supposed plan of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to assassinate him.
Duterte has had an uneasy relationship with the US since he won a presidential election in May. He said he is charting a foreign policy not dependent on the US, and has taken steps to revive ties with China, which had been strained under his predecessor over longstanding territorial conflicts in the South China Sea.
Source: Philippine Star
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