THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Sea feud, North Korea tackled in Duterte's meeting with Brunei, Australia

Sourced from The Philippine Star;

The tension in the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea maritime dispute were raised during President Rodrigo Duterte’s bilateral meeting with the leaders of Brunei and Australia.

Duterte met separately with Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit Sunday night.

In his meeting with Bolkiah, his first engagement with a fellow leader after he arrived from Vietnam, Duterte emphasized that the tensions in the Korean Peninsula could be diffused through dialogue.

“It must be resolved through dialogue and must not affect the lives of people in the neighboring countries,” Duterte was quoted by a Malacañang statement as saying.

Duterte said China holds the key to resolving the rising tension in the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea has been testing a ballistic missile, raising concerns among its neighbors who called it a threat to regional peace. Under the leadership of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, the rogue state boosted its nuclear capabilities despite the economic sanctions imposed on it by the United Nations.

ASEAN foreign ministers have raised concerns over North Korea’s activities and called for a “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in a peaceful manner."

Duterte also assured Bolkiah that he is ready to help fellow ASEAN countries in distress including those facing terrorist threats. He also promised to further strengthen the relationship between the Philippines and Brunei.

The Philippine leader also praised Bolkiah for his "extraordinary service to humanity" and thanked him for the assistance to disaster-hit areas. He thanked Bolkiah for hosting a number of Filipinos in Brunei and treating them as his own.


“I consider it an honor for my country and for myself that you (Bolkiah) have recognized the importance of our mutual relations, the strong bonds between our two countries," Duterte said.

URL: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/11/13/1758516/sea-feud-north-korea-tackled-dutertes-meeting-brunei-australia