Hong Kong
CNN
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China’s Xi Jinping and Philippine’s Ferdinand Marcos Jr. strengthen economic ties and resume talks on oil exploration as they aim to revive the economy amid pandemic slump and friction over disputed territories in the South China Sea agreed.
Xi met with Marcos Jr. on Wednesday during the Philippine president’s first official visit to Beijing, where the two leaders agreed to “manage their differences properly,” according to a joint statement released on Thursday. .
The statement said the leaders had “deep and candid” discussions on the situation in the South China Sea and “reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the region.”
During the talks, Manila and Beijing also agreed to resume talks on oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea, which were suspended last June due to constitutional and sovereignty issues.
Marcos Jr. has previously said he would pursue oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea even without a deal with China. claims almost all of the 1.3 million square miles of the South China Sea as its own, but other territories, including the Philippines, have competing and sometimes overlapping claims over certain areas.
The South China Sea has long been a source of tension between Manila and Beijing, and relations were further strained in December when the Philippine Department of Defense expressed “serious concerns.” Presence of Chinese ships in contested waterways.
The Philippines has repeatedly accused Chinese vessels of harassing Filipino fishermen in the region. Statement issued on WednesdayMarcos Jr. says he raised the issue with Xi Jinping at a meeting in Beijing.
In a statement, Marcos Jr. said Xi had promised to “find a solution” to allow Filipino fishermen to operate in the Southeast Asian country’s natural fishing grounds.
“We also discussed what we can do to move forward to avoid mistakes and misunderstandings that could cause bigger problems than we already have,” he added.
To that end, countries have announced plans to set up direct lines of communication between their maritime sectors.
In a Philippine statement, Marcos Jr. said President Xi pledged to expand assistance to the Philippines, including in agriculture, infrastructure and maritime security, and that the two sides had signed a total of 14 bilateral agreements. rice field.
According to China’s foreign ministry, Xi also offered a wide range of cooperation opportunities with the Philippines, including supporting China’s investment in the Philippines and helping neighboring countries develop agricultural technology, basic education, meteorology and space, and vaccine research. promised.
The Philippines has long balanced America’s strategic interests in the Pacific alongside China’s geopolitical and economic rise.
The Philippines is a longtime U.S. defense ally, but former leader Rodrigo Duterte sought closer ties with China during his six years in power, even sidelining territorial disputes in exchange for Chinese investments. placed in
Marcos Jr.’s Beijing visit comes after US Vice President Kamala Harris A visit to the Philippines in November reaffirmed Washington’s “unwavering” commitment to its allies.
During that visit, Harris and Marcos Jr. discussed 21 new US-funded projects, including more defense installations around the Philippines.
