In his public address on Wednesday night, Duterte has once again called China a 'good friend' of the country.
'Mayroon tayong utang na loob na marami, pati 'yung bakuna natin. So China, let it be known, is a good friend and we don't want trouble with them, especially a war," the President said.
Most of the Philippines' COVID-19 vaccines were from China. The country's first supply of vaccine, the CoronaVac made by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech, were donated by the Chinese government.
However, despite the friendship, the Chief Executive said there were things that he would not be ready to give up, like sovereign territory.
"But there are things that are not really subject to a compromise. I hope they will understand but I have the interest of my country also to protect," Duterte stated.
His remark came hours after the National Task Force West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) reported that at least five Chinese vessels were again spotted in the Philippines’ territorial waters despite several diplomatic protests filed by the country against China.
Duterte said he would not allow military troops to leave the West Philippine Sea despite China’s demand, the same statement he made last week during his 'Talk to the People' address.
