Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte claims China threatened war over South China Sea if status quo not kept

At a press briefing on Thursday, Duterte recalled his first state visit to China in 2016, during which he discussed various issues with Xi, including the Philippines’ plan to “dig oil” in the West Philippine Sea – Manila’s term for the waters of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Duterte said his Chinese counterpart was adamantly opposed and warned him strongly against it.

“I just want to let you know, this was the response of President Xi: ‘I’m afraid you cannot do that.’ … [I said] I will get oil from the portion of the South China Sea that belongs to the Philippines. He told me: ‘Please do not do it! For the life of me. We are friends and I do not want to destroy that friendship,’” Duterte said.

“My understanding is ‘there will be trouble’ if we insist on our own way there in the West Philippine Sea. China will go to war,” he added.

Duterte also denied that he had ever struck a “gentlemen’s deal” with Xi that would entail forfeiting his country’s territorial rights, and that the only thing they agreed on was maintaining the status quo within the disputed waters, meaning no new facilities or infrastructure.

“Aside from the fact of having a handshake with President Xi Jinping, the only thing I remember was ‘status quo’. That’s the word,” Duterte said.

Roque speculated that Beijing felt Manila’s missions to the Second Thomas Shoal to resupply the BPS Sierra Madre – a WWII era navy vessel that was purposefully grounded on the shoal to bolster the Philippines’ territorial claims – was a violation of the unwritten agreement made by Duterte.

During his six years in office, Duterte, who consistently called Xi a very close “friend”, reoriented Philippine foreign policy away from the United States