Duterte made the remarks in an interview broadcast on Monday (Oct 17) with Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television ahead of a four-day visit to Beijing, which begins on Tuesday and is aimed at improving ties that soured over competing claims in the resource-rich South China Sea.

"China's door has always been open to the Philippines, and I think you've also noticed that President Duterte has many times said he wants dialogue with China", she said.

Duterte wants to make progress on the South China Sea territorial dispute between the two countries and expand defense cooperation with China, which could be a new source of weapons for the Philippines.

Mr Duterte said he had launched his bloody war on drugs "because of the sheer number of people contaminated will pull my country down - it will destroy the next generation of Filipinos". "So we might be asking for your help, asking the Chinese people to help Chinese people here".

"I will not bargain anywhere, we will continue to insist that is ours, the worldwide tribunal decision will be taken up", he told a news conference in his home city of Davao, according to Reuters. The US and various global groups have voiced their concerns over the killings of hundreds of suspected drug dealers and users in the Philippines causing the new Philippine president to say some not so nice things about his country's former principal allies.

From Brunei, the President will proceed to Beijing for his first state visit to China. His critics say the president has allowed an atmosphere of lawlessness to develop in which criminal groups can settle vendettas with impunity.

Duterte visited Vietnam at the end of September, where he compared notes on South China Sea issues. "But there will be no hard impositions", GMA quoted him as saying. Manila is looking for China's help to build up its railway system and guarantees for its workers overseas. "We recognized that Brunei had carried on the position that its claim over a portion of a South China Sea against China is a matter that should be discussed, with them exclusively on a bilateral engagement basis", Yasay said.

In a press briefing, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar told reporters that the closed-door meeting between Duterte and Sultan Bolkiah held at the Istana Nurul Iman took about 30 minutes.

"We will continue to insist that is ours", he said.

According to the local daily, the politician said there can be no middle ground when it comes to the Philippines' claim over disputed territories in the South China Sea.

President Duterte may be a controversial figure on the world stage: but in world history it has frequently been necessary for a statesman to be bold, imaginative and unpredictable in order to cut through complications and enable real progress.

"The significance of Duterte's visit will depend on whether any specific deals will be inked in the days to come", the article says.