Manila extends olive branch to Beijing
The Philippines on Tuesday reiterated that it could not allow its continuing maritime dispute with China to affect the deepening cooperation between your two nations within their fight the COVID-19 pandemic. It comes a day time after President Rodrigo Duterte rejected an expletive-laced tweet by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. challenging China remove its ships from Philippine-claimed territories in the South China Ocean, the latest exchange in a battle of terms with Beijing over the disputed region.
"China remains our benefactor," Duterte said on a televised address about Monday.
"Just because we've a good conflict with China will not mean to claim that we need to be rude and disrespectful," he said, adding: "We have a lot of things to thank China for - their help in days gone by and their help now."
China donated the Philippines' first of all million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and since March 1 - when the federal government rolled out its immunization get - the Philippines has administered practically 2 million doses, most from China's Sinovac Biotech.
Duterte, who provides repeatedly expressed a desire for Chinese and Russian-made vaccines, likewise received his initial dose on Mon. Malacanang stated the president was inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine.
