A Malacañang official said it would be better if President Duterte would push through with his China visit next week so he can meet President Xi Jinping and talk about the South China Sea dispute face to face. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the statement following the strongly-worded statements released by Malacañang regarding the presence of Chinese vessels circling Philippine-occupied islands in the West Philippine Sea. According to Nograles, it would be preferable if the two leaders would personally talk about the developments in the disputed waters.

Geducos, A. C. B. (2019, April 21). Duterte-Xi meeting may tackle South China Sea dispute. Manila Bulletin, pp. 1, 13.