Both Beijing and Manila have kept a low profile over the visit of former Philippine president Fidel Ramos to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the past couple of days, but his mission has been evident: to seek the possibility of easing the strained bilateral relations.

Instead of helping to disentangle the increasingly complicated knot in the South China Sea, the award made by the arbitral tribunal in The Hague, which China does not recognize as legal and binding, has rendered things even more thorny.

A breakthrough is undoubtedly needed for an end to their impasse, at least by agreeing to shelve their disputes, so that exchanges and cooperation can continue.