(VOVworld) – A recent ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in a lawsuit between the Philippines and China will be the basis for future bilateral talks about their territorial dispute, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday during a talk with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Manila. Mr. Duterte said the Philippines will begin any talks with the PCA ruling.

Filipino President Rodrigo R. Duterte meets visiting US Secretary of State John F. Kerry on July 27. (Photo: bworldonline.com)

John Kerry, at a meeting with Filipino Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay, said the US is not taking a position on the competing sovereignty claims to land features in the East Sea, but, he added, the US obviously has a stance on protecting and exercising aviation and navigation rights specified by international law. Kerry said the US hopes all disputes will be resolved peacefully in a diplomatic way without threats of force.  

President Duterte called a National Security Council meeting on Wednesday to discuss the government’s strategy in scheduled talks with China to resolve differences in the East Sea.