The Philippines and China have agreed to establish more lines of communication to manage issues in the disputed South China Sea.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang met in Manila on Saturday (Apr 22) and agreed to resolve any event in the West Philippine Sea involving China and the Philippines immediately.
The two countries discussed views on strategic and regional issues during bilateral talks, with Qin stating that they needed to work together to deepen cooperation and properly resolve differences.
The Philippines reaffirmed adherence to the One China Policy, while expressing concern over escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
The Philippines announced the location of four additional US military bases, which drew criticism from China.
The country has filed dozens of diplomatic protests against the presence of Chinese fishing vessels and what it calls China’s “aggressive actions” in the waterway.
In May, President Marcos Jr is planning to meet with US President Joe Biden in Washington.
This is days after more than 17,000 Philippine and US soldiers complete their largest-ever joint military drills in the Southeast Asian country. This has drawn criticism from Beijing.