Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. denies claims that the Duterte administration’s foreign policy is focused on ‘appeasing’ China, despite closer ties with the said country.
“No. To begin with, you are looking at the opposite of appeasement right now. Every transgression made by the Chinese, or even just a suspicion of it is immediately reported to me, and we craft diplomatic note and fire it off. Every single time without fail,” answered Locsin when asked about the matter.
This remark was a response to retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio’s statement that the government’s appeasement of Beijing has prevented it from defending the sovereign rights of the West Philippine Sea.
The top diplomat also assures that he will again communicate and ask China to pay damages to the crew of a Philippine boat rammed by a Chinese vessel last year.
