China closely monitors Duterte's arrest

Beijing responded on Tuesday to media reports regarding the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, stating that it has noticed the news and is closely monitoring the developments.

Duterte was arrested on Tuesday on a warrant from the International Criminal Court accusing him of crimes against humanity, the Associated Press quoted the Philippine government as saying.

"China has noticed the relevant news and is closely following the developments," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

She reiterated that China has always maintained that the ICC should strictly follow the principle of complementarity in jurisdiction.

The International Criminal Court should "exercise its powers prudently in accordance with the law and avoid politicization and double standards," she added.

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com