Beijing and Manila struck a rare conciliatory tone, downplaying their simmering maritime tensions in the South China Sea during a farewell meeting on Thursday between President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and outgoing Chinese envoy Huang Xilian.
Advertisement
The South China Sea issues “are not the sum total” of relations between the two neighbours, the Philippine leader told Huang, according to a statement from the Presidential Communications Office.
“Let us not allow these differences to define our relationship,” Marcos said, adding that the two countries should continue to encourage the deepening of trade, people-to-people interactions and cultural exchanges.
In its statement issued after the meeting, the Chinese embassy said Huang had agreed with Marcos that the relationship between Beijing and Manila should not be defined by the South China Sea disputes.
“It is hoped that the Philippine side will work with China in the same direction to put China-Philippines relations back on track at an early date,” he said, according to the embassy’s readout.
Advertisement
The remarks resurrected language used in January 2023 when Marcos visited China. The joint statement agreed by Beijing and Manila emphasised that “maritime issues do not comprise the sum total of relations between the two countries”.