The presence of Chinese ships near Pag-asa island may be discussed during President Duterte’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month, Malacañang said yesterday, as it claimed that the Philippine leader had “effectively” invoked the arbitral ruling on the South China Sea when he asked Beijing to lay off the Philippine-occupied island. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said it would be up to Duterte to decide whether to assert the ruling during his meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.

Romero, A., Lee-Brago, P., Felipe, C. S., & Clapano, J. R. (2019, April 16). Duterte might tell Xi: China must leave WPS. Philippine Star, pp. 1, 6.