Philippine diplomats are currently in talks with their Chinese counterparts for the upcoming visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to Beijing next month to discuss the plight of Filipino fishermen in the disputed South China Sea.

High-ranking foreign affairs officials said on Friday that arrangements are being made by both Philippine and Chinese authorities for the visit of Duterte at the end of October.

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"One of the things that I would demand if I go to the mainland China is, 'Give us back our fishing rights.' That's one," Duterte said in a speech he delivered at the inauguration of a power plant in Manila on Thursday.

Appeal

Duterte had earlier appealed to China to give Filipino fishermen access to the resource-rich Scarborough Shoal following a recent arbitration court ruling that no one country can legally control that shoal.

Duterte said in his speech that he will go to China this year and hold talks with Chinese officials to resolve the South China Sea dispute as he told Chinese businessmen, " You will see me (in China) often."

China-Philippine bilateral relations have been cold in the few past years due to their longtime conflict over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The territorial case filed by Manila against Beijing before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) three years ago under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III only exacerbated the deteriorating ties between both nations.

Sino-Philippine cooperation

Analysts said Duterte's soft stance towards Beijing on various issues including the recent arbitration court ruling favoring the Philippines shows Manila's intent to mend its ties with the Asian giant.

The Philippine President said he was looking forward to a future Sino-Philippine cooperation such as venturing into joint gas explorations in the South China Sea as part of repairing strained ties between the two nations.

Duterte also said in his speech that he would raise the July 12 arbitration court ruling favoring Manila's claims before the Chinese government during the formal talks.

"When I come face-to-face with the Chinese negotiators, I will present this problem. Here is this piece of paper, our arbitral award. We do not go out of the four corners of this paper. We talk. We will not act as warmongers," he said.

Scarborough Shoal

Duterte said that although Manila would not deviate from the court ruling in the talks, he would seek a way to convince Beijing to let Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal make a living after being deprived of their livelihood for four years since China seized control of the shoal in 2012 after a standoff with the Philippines.

On July 12, an international arbitration court ruled that China had no legal basis for its 'historic claims' in the disputed South China Sea.

The ruling rejected Beijing's claims to almost the entirety of the strategic waterway saying it violates the Philippines' rights to explore resources within its exclusive economic zone.

China has rejected the ruling as "illegal" and "null and void." Chinese President Xi Jinping had said that Beijing would not accept any talks and propositions based on the ruling. 

TagsSouth China Sea talks, President Rodrigo Duterte, Scarborough Shoal, Filipino fishermen, Philippines, china