China withdraws ships from Pag-asa island after Duterte's warning

China has reportedly started to pull out its vessels near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea, Philippine special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo has said in his column in Manila Times.

Tensions have been high in the small disputed island, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte had said warned China against venturing near Pag-asa island. "Let us be friends, but do not touch Pagasa Island and the rest. If you make moves there, that's a different story. I will tell my soldiers, 'Prepare for suicide mission'," Duterte said.

"Some 100 Chinese fishing boats have been withdrawn from the waters off the Philippine-administered Pag-asa Island in the South China Sea, an emissary from the Chinese government told this columnist on June 4," Tulfo wrote on Thursday.

Tulfo said in his column that this move was meant to portray China's "initial gesture to win the trust and confidence of the Philippine government." "We want to send the message that we love your President," he quoted an emissary as saying.

Tulfo said it was through this emissary that he was able to reach out to some Chinese officials for backdoor talks.

Based on his conversation with the emissary, who is in Manila for business, the remaining small fishing boats will be towed by bigger boats. "Eventually, the Chinese emissary said, the fishing boats off Pag-asa 'will disappear'," Tulfo said.