Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday he would raise a controversial arbitral ruling on the South China Sea with China's leaders, and vowed not to surrender any sovereignty or deviate from the July award by the tribunal in The Hague.

 

Duterte acknowledged there had been some concerns in the Philippines that his rapid moves to forge close ties with China could impact the country's maritime sovereignty, but he said that would not happen.

 

The award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague dealt a blow to China's extensive claims in the South China Sea, and it has refused to recognize the case.

 

Duterte said it would be talked about, and the parameters of the award would be discussed, but there would be no "hard imposition" of it, during his visit to Beijing this week.

 

"I will not bargain anywhere, we will continue to insist that is ours, the international tribunal decision will be taken up," he told a news conference in his home city of Davao.