China has agreed to allow Filipino fishermen to fish in the resource-rich Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea two months after a Hague-based arbitration tribunal declared that the shoal was the Philippines' traditional fishing ground.

Philippine Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella on Tuesday confirmed the Chinese government's approval. However, no date has been set yet to officially give the fishermen's access to the disputed shoal, (known as Panatag Shoal in the Philippines).

Like Us on Facebook

Abella, at a press conference, said President Duterte appealed to Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua on Monday to allow Filipino fishermen to fish in the Scarborough Shoal.

"I don't know about the exact date when Filipino fishermen would be allowed to fish in the Scarborough Shoal but this was one of the issues raised by  President Duterte to Chinese officials, and they agreed to it." he explained.

Brothers

Duterte, on Monday, appealed to Beijing to treat Filipinos as "brothers" and not enemies and open the disputed Scarborough Shoal to Filipino fishermen who have been deprived of their livelihood due to the ongoing maritime conflict between the two nations.

Duterte, during a four-hour meeting with ambassador Jinhua, said he wanted to push the bilateral talks with China to resolve their conflict over the disputed sea.

Abella expressed optimism about the planned formal talks between the Philippines and China to settling the South China Sea conflict despite a clash in their positions.

Arbitration court ruling

China's President Xi Jinping has said that the country would not accept any actions and propositions by any state based on the arbitration court ruling.

Duterte, for his part, said that he would set aside the arbitral court ruling for the meantime, but pointed out that he will invoke the ruling at the "proper time" before Beijing.

On July 12, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in favor of the Philippines, rejected Beijing's "historic claims" to more than 80 percent of the disputed South China Sea.

The court ruled that Beijing violated international law and the Philippines' rights to explore its resources within its exclusive economic zone.

China has, however, dismissed the ruling as "null and void" and a "complete farce."

TagsScarborough Shoal, South China Sea, President Rodrigo Duterte, President Xi Jinping, arbitral court ruling, Filipino fishermen, china