The ties between China and the Philippines are expected to improve in 2016 after Philippine President Benigno Aquino III ends his term, according to Chinese expert Wu Shicun.

Wu, the president of Chinese think tank National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said the relations between the two countries went south when the Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) dispute erupted in 2012. But he thinks the ties could still be restored, Global Nation reported.

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During the Philippine Media Southwest China Cultural and Economic Familiarization Tour, Wu said China and the Philippines used to have good foreign relations, be it economic or political.

Wu is confident that by 2016, China-Philippines relations will improve.

Philippine and Chinese vessels had bitter encounters at the Panatag Shoal in the second quarter of 2012 after Chinese vessels prevented the Philippine Navy from apprehending suspected Chinese poachers in the area, according to the report.

By January 2013, Manila had filed an arbitration case in ITLOS in a bid to settle the territorial dispute.

However, Wu said China will most likely not abide with the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on its spat with the Philippines, whether it may be favorable or not.

The decision is expected to be made known in the first quarter of 2016, Wu said during the Philippine Media Southwest China Cultural and Economic Familiarization Tour.

China has until December 15 to respond to the case, but it refused to participate in the process, maintaining its immutable sovereignty over the disputed area. However, the case has moved on despite lack of cooperation from Beijing, the Manila Standard Today (MST) relayed.

Wu thinks elevating the dispute to the United Nations tribunal was not a good move for Aquino. The present Philippine administration has not exerted considerable effort to patch up its differences with China, he added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Aquino should meet and the latter should withdraw the arbitration case to show its sincerity in improving ties with China, Wu suggested.

The only way to really improve their ties is to drop the territorial spat and instead talk about ways to restore and improve their bilateral relations, said Wu.

Aquino is expected to fly to Beijing this November for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and hopefully have the chance to speak with Xi, MST reported.

TagsChina-Philippines, Panatag Shoal, Scarborough Shoal, bilateral ties