July

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the first anniversary of the so-called "South China Sea Arbitration Award" with a positive tone, affirming that disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved in the spirit of good-neighborliness and friendship. The then Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addressed the South China Sea in a low-key manner in his State of the Nation Address, stating that the two countries were handling the relevant issues. China and the Philippines returned to the right track of resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation.