WATCH: John Oliver suggests Kenny G as ‘smooth’ solution to West Philippine Sea dispute

MANILA, Philippines – The tensions are high in the West Philippine Sea, the center of territorial disputes between several countries – including the Philippines and China. John Oliver, the political commentator and comedian who anchors Last Week Tonight, is well aware of the friction.

This was addressed in an episode aired in November 2015, but still timely as clips of the episode is in circulation over social media again – in light of the ruling of an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands in favor of the Philippines. Here, John Oliver weighs in on a possible peaceful solution to the maritime tensions.

“We could be going to war with China,” he says, referencing an event in October 2015 where a top Chinese official had warned the United States against provoking war by sending destroyers near Chinese-occupied areas.

He continued: “Before you think China shouldn’t make a mountain out of a molehill, I will remind you: they just made f*cking islands out of the ocean” – referring to China’s “massive” reclamation activity in the disputed area.

“But before anyone panics, I may have a possible solution here,” he says as he proposes Kenny G to help for the reason that the Grammy Award-winning musician is “a really big deal in China.”

He explains by quoting the New York Times: “Every day, ‘Going Home’ is piped into shopping malls, schools, train stations and fitness centers as a signal to the public that it is time […] to go home.”

“Kenny G is clearly our secret weapon. He has an uncommon ability to make the people of China stop what they’re doing and go home to relax,” John says. “If we can only harness that power of subliminal suggestion for good, we could all live in a slightly safer world.”

He then introduces his musical guest: the “future winner of the Nobel Peace Prize,” Kenny G himself, who performs “Going Home” live on saxophone.

Once again, thank you to @officialkennyg for being SO SMOOTH. Seriously, he’s like velvet for your ears. pic.twitter.com/89QwAymx5o

— Last Week Tonight (@LastWeekTonight) November 2, 2015

The arbitral tribunal in The Hague “concluded that, as between the Philippines and China, there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources, in excess of the rights provided for by the Convention, within the sea areas falling within the ‘9-dash line.”

China has rejected bilateral talks with the Philippines if it would be based on the ruling. – Rappler.com