China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang (right) is welcomed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo ahead of their meeting at the Diamond Hotel in Metro Manila on Saturday. AFP
Manila: China and the Philippines on Saturday agreed to cooperate in resolving their maritime disputes in the South China Sea, where the two countries have conflicting claims. They also agreed to strengthen their bilateral relations.
The two foreign ministers’ discussions are the most recent in a string of high-level encounters the Philippines has had with American and Chinese leaders as the two nations compete for strategic dominance in the Indo-Pacific.
As he began talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Manila, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Manila’s relations with Beijing are more than just their differences over the South China Sea.
“These differences should not prevent us from seeking ways of managing them effectively, especially with respect to enjoyment of rights of Filipinos, especially fishermen,” Reuters quoted Manalo as saying, adding that their livelihoods are undermined by incidents and actions in the waterway.
The Philippines has lodged scores of diplomatic concerns against China’s presence in the critical waterway and what it refers to as China’s “aggressive actions” since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office in June.
The two neighbours need to work together to continue a tradition of friendship, deepen cooperation and properly resolve differences, Qin said in his opening remarks.
Working together would help promote peace and stability of the region and the world, Qin said.
His visit comes just weeks after the Philippines announced the location of four additional U.S. military bases, two of which are facing north towards Taiwan.
Qin is to meet Marcos later on Saturday, ahead of the president’s meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington in May.
More than 17,000 Philippine and US soldiers are conducting their largest ever joint military drills in the Southeast Asian country, drawing criticism from Beijing, Manila’s rival in the South China Sea.
A landmark ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 invalidated China’s claims of sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, which sees the passage of about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne goods annually and is believed to be rich in minerals and oil-and-gas deposits.
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines have competing claims in portions of the waterway.
With inputs from agencies
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