(Corr) Ex-Philippine senator backs foreign policy revamp amid rift with China.

Text of report by Charlie V. Manalo headlined "Tatad urges foreign policy revamp amid territorial rift" published by Philippines newspaper The Daily Tribune website on 13 May

The Aquino administration should revamp its foreign policy and national security structure to show goodwill to China in resolving the current impasse between Manila and Beijing over clashing claims of both on Scarborough Shoal [Reef], former Sen. Francisco Tatad said.

Tatad added such action will help the country handle its continuing territorial dispute with China better.

"This will let the Chinese see we're trying to correct a bad situation - then we can ask them to do the same," he said during a forum yesterday.

He raised urgency for the revamp and for more diplomacy in tackling the problem, noting tension is already escalating between China and the Philippines as both maintain respective claims over several territories in South China Sea.

Manila refers to the South China Sea as West Philippine Sea. Amid the tension, Chinese authorities reportedly have impounded Philippine banana exports to their country as these fruits allegedly carried pests.

Several Chinese groups' travel to the Philippines was also cancelled, the reports said.

Aside from such economic pressures, earlier reports likewise had said China already deployed ships near Scarborough Shoal which is among territories that country and the Philippines are claiming.