Duterte says he’ll set aside South China Sea feud ruling against Beijing

The Philippine president said on Saturday he would “set aside” a ruling by an international arbitration tribunal that invalidated Beijing’s claims to most of the busy South China Sea, because he doesn’t want to impose on China.

Duterte, who took office in June, has taken steps to mend relations with China that grew hostile during the time of his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, over the long-unresolved territorial disputes. The Aquino administration took the disputes to international arbitration in a move backed by Washington after China seized a disputed shoal in 2012.

“In the play of politics, now, I will set aside the arbitral ruling. I will not impose anything on China,” Duterte said.

He explained his position partly by repeating his threat to remove American forces out of the Philippines after the Obama administration criticised his government’s bloody crackdown on illegal drugs.