© REUTERS/ Etienne OliveauPresident Duterte • General Secretary Xi Jinping
To mark their improving relations
China and The Philippines have inked a series of agreements strengthening diplomatic and economic ties - including one to avoid any military conflict in the disputed South China Sea, once a flashpoint between the two nations.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the right hand man of General Secretary Xi Jinping, met with the ever-controversial President of The Philippines Rodrigo Duterte at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Pasay, Philippines.
The two men shook hands and issued a joint statement that both nations should focus on resolving their territorial conflicts in the South China Sea by dialogue, not force. "Both sides believe that
the maritime dispute is not the full sum of the China-Philippines relationship," the statement said. "Both sides also reaffirm the importance of maintaining and promoting regional peace and stability, freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the South China Sea as well as freedom of commerce and other peaceful uses."
Both sides agreed to work harder "to manage and prevent incidents at sea, enhance maritime dialogue and cooperation, and pursue a stable growth of bilateral relations. Both sides agree to strengthen maritime cooperation in areas such as marine environmental protection, disaster risk reduction, including possible cooperation in marine scientific research, subject to further consultations."
Duterte issued a statement of his own, discussing the "improving relations between ASEAN and China" when it came to issues in the South China Sea.
"In view of this positive momentum, we looked forward to the announcement of the start of substantive negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) with China," Duterte said, hopefully sometime in 2018.
Comment: If even only one or two of those questions get answered, it could be very messy for Obama, the Clintons, and all their cronies. Don't hold your breath though. Killary and Slick Willie have a way of side-stepping scandals.