(Repeats story from Wednesday, no changes to text)
* Duterte visit driven by domestic pressure
* US says China is bullying neighbours
* Beijing rejects arbitration process
* United front to push China on ruling seen possible
By Martin Petty
MANILA, Aug 28 (Reuters) - When Philippine leader Rodrigo
Duterte visits China this week, he'll need to salvage something
from a "pivot" to Beijing that has left him empty-handed, and
exposed his neighbours to a new level of brinkmanship in the
South China Sea.
Despite his huge domestic popularity and great affection for
China, Duterte is under growing pressure to push back at its
growing maritime assertiveness. After avoiding the issue for
three years, he has vowed to raise with President Xi Jinping a
2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China's claim to
sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.
The trip comes amid a recent rise in tension on multiple
fronts, with Chinese vessels challenging energy assets and sea
boundaries of Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, prompting
warnings and rebukes by the United States, which accuses China
of "coercive interference" and holding hostage $2.5 trillion of
oil and gas.
China called that "warrantless criticism" with distorted
facts. Duterte's motivation, experts say, is to tackle public
unease over his refusal to speak out against a deeply mistrusted
China, and frustrations among a defence establishment that has
started to find its own voice.
"If that's all it is, then this is just a cynical political
play. But it could be effective if it marks the start of a
concerted effort to raise diplomatic costs on Beijing for its
bad behaviour," said Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime
Transparency Initiative, a Washington think-tank.
"That would mean bringing it up not just now, but at every
opportunity, including introducing resolutions to the U.N.
calling for Chinese compliance, and rallying international
support."
"That will be a tall order ... but it's the only option that
could actually work."
It would require an about-face by Duterte, who caused a
storm in 2016 when he announced his "separation" from closest
ally the United States, in favour of a bumper business
relationship with Beijing, worth billions in loans and
investment. Most of that has yet to materialise. In return, Duterte heaped effusive praise on Xi, set aside
the arbitration ruling and helped keep it off the regional
agenda, creating an environment that enabled China to expand its
navy, coastguard and fishing fleet and further militiarise its
artificial islands.
A commentary on Wednesday carried by China's Xinhua news
agency said Xi and Duterte had "a firm faith and strong will to
bridge their differences and push aside any distractions".
TENSION ESCALATING
After some initial calm, tensions have resurfaced this year,
with Chinese coastguard tracked around an oil rig on Malaysia's
continental shelf, and near an oil block in Vietnam's Exclusive
Economic Zone operated by Russia's Rosneft ROSN.MM , angering
Vietnam, which is calling for international support.
Duterte's top defence officials are outraged after a Chinese
trawler sank a Filipino boat in June and scores of Chinese
militia boats surrounded a Philippine-held island.
Repeated unannounced movements of Chinese warships within
the Philippines' 12-mile territorial waters has incensed the
military, and is stoking concern about spying.
Some diplomats and analysts say building a unified position
against China's militarisation is still possible, despite
China's strengthened hand.
Former Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said
the presence of five other Southeast Asian states and Japan as
observers at The Hague arbitration showed there was significant
support, and a "compelling rebuke to those who doubt that
international justice does exist and will prevail".
Philippine Supreme Court Judge Antonio Carpio has been
advocating that Southeast Asian countries conduct freedom of
navigation and overflight activities together, and join those of
the United States, Japan, India and Britain.
But finding a common approach would be difficult, according
to Jay Batongbacal, a South China Sea expert. He said Duterte
had weakened the international position by allowing China to
consolidate power "without interference or even a peep from us".
Much depended on China's actions, and whether Western powers
were convinced that Duterte and other Southeast Asian leaders
were prepared to confront Beijing.
"If China pushes, it may raise the possibility of us
unifying around that ruling," he told news channel ANC.
"If we don't speak up, they will not be able to take a
stronger position."
(Editing by Robert Birsel)