China vows ‘decisive response’ over South China Sea

China warned on Thursday of a “decisive response” to provocations in the South China Sea, as it faced mounting pressure to accept an international tribunal’s ruling against its claims to most of the strategically vital waters.

The Philippines, which launched the legal challenge, called for Beijing to respect the decision but sought to defuse tensions saying it would send a former President to China for talks. China, which had already vowed to ignore Tuesday’s verdict by the UN-backed tribunal in The Hague, responded with another firm warning that it was in no mood to back down. “If anyone wants to take any provocative action against China’s security interests based on the award, China will make a decisive response,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. China claims nearly all of the sea — which is of immense military importance and thro-ugh which about $5 trillion worth of shipping trade passes annually — even waters approaching the coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations.

On Thursday, new President Rodrigo Duterte asked former President, 88-year-old Fidel Ramos, to go to China for talks. “War... is not an option. So what is the other side Peaceful talks,” Mr Duterte said without providing a timeframe. “I have to consult many people, including President Ramos. I would like to respectfully ask him to go to China and start the talks.” Mr Ramos, who forged close relations with China when he was in office from 1992 to 1998, hinted he might not accept the offer. Earlier Thursday, the Philippines offered a hardened stance with a statement detailing foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay’s priorities when he attends a two-day Asia-Europe summit, known as ASEM, in Mongolia along with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang starting on Friday.

“Secretary Yasay will discuss within the context of ASEM’s agenda the Philippines’ peaceful and rules-based approach on the South China Sea and the need for parties to respect the recent decision,” the foreign affairs department said. Vietnam, another claimant in the sea, protested China’s recent activities in the disputed South China Sea, saying they seriously violate Vietnamese sovereignty.

China and the United States, which insists it must help ensure freedom of navigation in the sea, had already deployed significant naval firepower into the disputed waters ahead of the verdict.

Taiwan, which has a very similar claim to the waters as China, sent a warship into the waters on Wednesday to protect its interests.