Before the Duterte-Xi “verbal” fishing deal gets the Philippine president into trouble with the Constitution, he will have a chance to plug the loopholes in the agreement when he meets China’s paramount leader in Beijing late this month. The deal that allows Chinese fleets to fish in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone has been widely criticized, although (or because) the terms of the agreement supposedly forged in 2016 have not been disclosed despite its negative impact on the country’s food security. As we write this (Wednesday noon), we have not heard Malacañang announce the agenda of Duterte’s meeting with China’s Xi Jinping, their fifth since he became president in 2016 and the second this year.

Pascual, F. D. Jr. (2019, August 8). Duterte, Xi to plug holes in fishing deal?. The Philippine Star, p. 8.