The Studies On Philippines Duterte Administration Policy Toward South China Sea

The South China Sea has been an inalienable part of Chinese territory since ancient times.Before the Cold War,the situation in the South China Sea was basically stable,and no country in the South China Sea region had raised any objections to the sovereignty of the South China Sea.During the Cold War,with the discovery of oil and gas resources and the prominence of geopolitical and economic value in the South China Sea,the South China Sea disputes have emerged out of a desire for resources of the countries in the region.The Philippines is no exception.During and after the Cold War,it tried to illegally occupy China’s interests in the South China Sea.After the founding of the Philippines in 1946,its South China Sea policy at the beginning could only be said to be in the exploratory stage to some extent,,without any major action;Later,the Philippines ’South China Sea policy began to become radical with the help of foreign powers.As a result,the Philippines during the period of the Aquino III government pushed the overall situation in the South China Sea to a new climax of complication and internationalization.The most representative case is the "South China Sea Arbitration Case".This arbitration has brought continuous turbulence and instability to the South China Sea region.Since Duterte took office as President of the Philippines in 2016,he has adjusted the radical South China Sea policy during the Aquino III period.He took the initiative to cool down the South China Sea region,offer an olive branch to China,and adopted a dialogue with China to resolve disputes in the South China Sea,thereby easing the tense situation in the South China Sea.Although Duterte’s South China Sea policy can be said to have changed the geopolitical structure and the relationship with China to a certain extent,it is difficult for him to get rid of the influence of Aquino III’s South China Sea policy.In general,Duterte is unlikely to make major concessions to China in the South China Sea policy.The main features of its South China Sea policy adjustment are as follows: Firstly,on the one hand,it insisted on friendly relations with China,and on the other hand,it also insisted on the sovereignty of the Philippines in the disputed area of the South China Sea;Secondly,he has taken the initiative to shelve the impact of the South China Sea arbitration case,while at the same time declaring that he will not give up the arbitration award of the South China Sea arbitration case;Thirdly,he actively promoted the efforts of China and ASEAN countries on the implementation of the "South China Sea Code of Conduct"(COC)and made efforts;Finally,he adopted a balanced foreign policy and the strategy of "quiet diplomacy" in the South China Sea,which enabled the Philippines to realize the unrealized political goal of Aquino III period.In other words,the Duterte government’s South China Sea policy is contradictory and complex to some extent,which fully demonstrates the dual nature of its policy.There is a certain degree of uncertainty in the direction of Duterte’s South China Sea policy.Due to the interaction of political pressure groups at home and abroad,President Duterte cannot completely ignore the political demands of pressure groups at home and abroad.still,he is still more concerned about the huge economic benefits brought about by the friendship with China.Over the past four years,the change in President Duterte ’s South China Sea policy has brought huge economic dividends to the Philippines.The implementation of the "build,build,build" plan has improved its domestic economic situation.There is little chance of a policy shift in the South China Sea in a short time or under President Duterte’s presidency.The momentum for China and the Philippines to set aside disputes and develop bilateral relations steadily will outweigh their differences.