New envoy backs putting ruling aside

Putting aside the arbitral ruling on the South China Sea should be a premise for possible talks between China and the Philippines, experts said after a former Philippine president was appointed as an envoy to China.

Fidel Ramos, 88, told reporters on Saturday that he accepted President Rodrigo Duterte's offer to act as special envoy.

Beijing has insisted on direct negotiations over the South China Sea disputes and has refused to accept the recent ruling of an arbitration case unilaterally launched in 2013 by the Philippines.