(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and China have resumed their political dialogue after a more than a year-long hiatus, holding talks on the sidelines of an Asean meeting amid heightened tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
In separate statements, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Chinese Embassy said Philippine DFA Undersecretary for Policy Leo M. Herrera-Lim met with Hou Yanqi, director-general of China’s Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, during the Senior Officials’ Meeting on the implementation of the Declaration on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
Both sides described the discussions as candid, covering bilateral relations, maritime issues, and regional and international concerns. They underscored the importance of sustained diplomatic engagement and agreed to maintain communication through diplomatic channels. Philippine Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Marshall Louis M. Alferez also took part in the meeting.
The talks come as tensions continue to simmer in the West Philippine Sea, where the Philippines has repeatedly protested China’s actions, including the use of water cannons, military-grade lasers, and blocking maneuvers against Philippine government vessels.
In a previous statement, the Chinese Embassy said Beijing was “actively facilitating potential cooperation” in clean energy, digital economy, waste-to-energy, agriculture, and poverty reduction.
On Thursday, Malacañang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. supported a “firm with diplomacy” approach in dealing with the word war, which has since escalated to proposals from both the Senate and House of Representatives to declare certain Chinese Embassy officials persona non grata.
