Manila advised against talks with China over disputed waters
None
MANILA - A former Philippine foreign minister and a US security expert said on Tuesday Philippine President-elect Rodrigo Duterte should not hold unconditional bilateral talks with China to try to resolve their South China Sea dispute.
China claims most of the waters, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims, as well as close military ties with the United States.
The Philippines has brought a case at an international tribunal in The Hague contesting China's claims, a case rejected by China which wants to try solve the issue bilaterally.
