Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has banned his cabinet from speaking out in public on the South China Sea dispute, after key ministers engaged in a war of words with Beijing.

Tensions between Manila and Beijing over the waterway -- which China claims almost entirely -- flared in March after hundreds of Chinese boats were spotted inside the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone.

While Duterte has been reluctant to confront China over the issue, his foreign and defence secretaries have repeatedly criticised Beijing for its refusal to withdraw the ships from the disputed waters.

Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin tweeted an expletive-tagged demand for the Chinese vessels to leave the area.

His online swearing prompted a rebuke from Beijing and Locsin later apologised to his Chinese counterpart.

"This is my order now to the cabinet... to refrain (from) discussing this West Philippine Sea (issue) with... anybody," Duterte said in a recorded speech late Monday, using the local name for the sea.

"If we have to talk, we talk only among us," Duterte told several cabinet members, including Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana who previously described the presence of Chinese boats as an "incursion".

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque was allowed to address the issue in public, Duterte added.

China has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that declared its historical claim over most of the South China Sea to be without basis.

Duterte has set aside the ruling in exchange for promises of trade and investment from China that critics say have largely not materialised.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Nine east European states slam Russian 'aggressive acts'
Bucharest (AFP) May 10, 2021
The leaders of nine eastern European nations on Monday condemned what they termed Russian "aggressive acts" citing operations in Ukraine and "sabotage" allegedly targeted at the Czech Republic. "The aggressive actions of Russia and the reinforcement of its military capacity in NATO's immediate vicinity, including the recent escalation in the Black Sea, on the borders of Ukraine and the illegally annexed Crimea continue to threaten Euro-Atlantic security," they said in a statement following t ... read more