China and the Philippines will hold direct talks on their maritime dispute in May, Filipino officials said on Wednesday, as President Duterte seeks stronger economic ties with Beijing. Last year, a United Nations-backed international tribunal rejected Beijing’s claims to most of the South China Sea, including disputed areas close to the coasts of its neighbors. China this week offered to host a meeting in May of a “bilateral consultation mechanism” to tackle issues related to the sea row, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

Andrade, J. I. (2017, March 30). PH, China to tackle maritime row in may. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A2.