- Title: China says countries should not resort to win-lose mentalities
- Date: 21st October 2016
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (OCTOBER 21, 2016) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING STANDING ON STAGE JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING SAYING: "Duterte was chosen by the Philippine people to be president. We believe he will make his own decisions on the Philippines' foreign policy according to the interests of the Philippines people and nation. China respects that the Philippines, as a sovereign country, decides its foreign policy based on its own judgment and the interests of the Philippines people and nation." JOURNALIST LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN HUA CHUNYING SAYING: "As far as China is concerned, we think that at present in international relations we should not have Cold War thinking, it's either you or me, you win I lose, that kind of zero sum game. We have always developed relations with other countries in the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, mutually win-win, not aimed at, not excluding and not affecting other countries developing normal relations with each other." BRIEFING IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 5th November 2016 09:11
- Keywords: China Philippines Duterte separation South China Sea realign
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00154Y6M9X
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: China said on Friday (October 21) countries should not resort to win-lose mentalities after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his "separation" from Washington.
Duterte said that he had "realigned (himself) in your ideological flow" and "America has lost now".
He made the comments at a business forum in Beijing, where he was paving the way for what he calls a new commercial alliance as relations with long-time ally Washington deteriorate.
Duterte's efforts to engage China, months after a tribunal in the Hague ruled that Beijing did not have historic rights to the South China Sea in a case brought by the previous administration in Manila, marks a reversal in foreign policy since the 71-year-old former mayor took office on June 30.
However, the Philippines Trade Minister Ramon Lopez said on Friday that Manila would maintain trade and economic ties with the United States, a day after his President's remark.
He said the Philippines was "breaking being too much dependent on one side".
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, asked in Beijing about Duterte's comments, said countries should not resort to win-lose mentalities, without elaborating.
"Duterte was chosen by the Philippine people to be president. We believe he will make his own decisions on the Philippines' foreign policy according to the interests of the Philippines people and nation. China respects that the Philippines, as a sovereign country, decides its foreign policy based on its own judgment and the interests of the Philippines people and nation," Hua told media at a regular briefing.
"As far as China is concerned, we think that at present in international relations we should not have Cold War thinking, it's either you or me, you win I lose, that kind of zero sum game. We have always developed relations with other countries in the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, mutually win-win, not aimed at, not excluding and not affecting other countries developing normal relations with each other," she added.
Wrangling over territory in the South China Sea, where neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims, has consumed China-Philippines relations in recent years.
China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year, and in 2012 it seized the disputed Scarborough Shoal and denied Philippine fishermen access to its fishing grounds.
In a joint statement issued by China's official Xinhua news agency, China and the Philippines said it was important to address differences in the South China Sea "without resorting to the threat or use of force". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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