Kinwestiyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang pang-angkin ng China sa pinag-aagawang teritoryo sa South China Sea.
Sa talumpati ng pangulo sa 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia, sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte na mahal niya ang China pero hindi dapat nito angkinin ang karagatan na pagmamay-ari ng Pilipinas.
Kasabay nito, hiniling rin ng pangulo ang pag-kumpleto ng code of conduct sa isyu ng maritime dispute.
Samantala, iginiit naman ng pangulo na hindi dapat maki-alam ang Estados Unidos sa naturang usapin.
Matatandaang nag-desisyon na ang United Nations Arbitral Tribunal kung saan pinaboran nito ang Pilipinas sa isyu ng pinag-aagawang teritoryo partikular na sa Scarborough Shoal.
For the greater country, for China and the ASEAN. And the last thing I heard was that the conduct of the sea was just about two years away, I would not want to imposed (…) my last word, but if I get to, the chance to visit Beijing again, I’ll tried to talk to President Xi Jinping. And the longer it takes for the issue to be there, it is always a flash point for trouble. And not only are that, because of the absence of the conduct of the sea, France, Britain, America are testing the waters. This is not a testing of waters of temperature, my god. It is really testing of who can fire the first job.” bahagi ng talumpati ni Pangulong Duterte sa 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia sa Japan.