Duterte unfazed by China's island-building in contested waters

Manila

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the failure of the United States to thwart China's island-building in the South China Sea showed there was no serious concern about its militarisation or reclamation work.

The firebrand leader reiterated he wanted to avoid confrontation with China and saw no need for urgency in pressing it to abide by a July ruling by an international tribunal on its South China Sea claims that went in favour of the Philippines.