Duterte's remarks in Japan accord with his words in Beijing: Chinese FM

BEIJING - China said on Thursday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's recent remarks during his visit to Japan accord with the consensus he reached with Chinese leaders during his China visit last week.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks in response to a question regarding Japanese media reports saying Japan and the Philippines reached agreement during Duterte's visit on respecting an international arbitration tribunal ruling over the South China Sea.

Lu said China and the Philippines reached consensus during Duterte's state visit to China, and both agreed to focus on cooperation, put aside their differences and bring the South China Sea issue back to the correct track of bilateral negotiation and consultation.

"The consensus has been made clear in the statements of the meetings of the two countries' leaders, their talks as well as in the China-Philippines joint statement," Lu said at a routine press briefing.

The consensus meets the common interests of the two countries and peoples and helps regional peace and stability, he added.

Currently, the situation in the South China Sea is moving in a positive direction, with joint efforts from concerned parties, including China and the Philippines, Lu said, citing their efforts to properly settle the issue through dialogue.

"If some countries still have unrealistic illusions, it's better to give up (the illusions) as early as possible," Lu said.