China welcomes Duterte’s readiness for talksBy China Xinhua NewsBEIJING — China welcomes Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s willingness to begin talks with Beijing on disputes in the South China Sea, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday. Watch: China welcomes Duterte’s readiness for talks Duterte said on Thursday that he was asking former President Fidel Ramos to go to China to open bilateral talks, after a ruling by a tribunal on the South China Sea issue two days ago. “The door to settling the issue through dialogue and negotiation has never been closed,” said spokesperson Lu Kang at a daily press briefing. He expressed the belief that bilateral ties will be bright if the two sides insist to solve their differences through dialogue and consultation.

Source: Manila Bulletin July 16, 2016 07:41 UTC