PH, China hold bilateral talks ahead of ASEAN COC meetings

CEBU, Philippines – The Philippines and China met bilaterally on Thursday, January 29, for a “candid exchange of views on bilateral relations, maritime-related matters, and regional and international issues of mutual interest,” according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). 

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Senior Officials’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, set to take place in Cebu City. 

Manila was represented by DFA Undersecretary for Policy Leo Herrera-Lim, while the Chinese delegation was led by Hou Yanqi, director general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. 

Herrera-Lim was joined by Philippine diplomats who handle bilateral ties with China and maritime matters.  

In a statement, the DFA said the two countries “underscored the importance of sustained diplomatic dialogue and continued cooperation across all sectors.”

The Chinese embassy in Manila, in a separate statement, noted that the meeting in Cebu “marked the resumption of political dialogue between the two countries after more than a yearlong hiatus.” 

“The two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on maritime affairs and other issues of mutual interest, and agreed to continue to maintain communication through diplomatic channels,” said the embassy. 

Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan had earlier said during a media party hosted by the embassy that the two countries were working on a “roadmap for the next stage dialogue and negotiation.”

The meeting came after weeks of heated exchanges between the Chinese embassy in the Philippines and several Philippine government officials and institutions. The tense and very public word wars have led to some Philippine legislators eyeing a declaration of persona non grata against certain Chinese envoys — a move that’s only symbolic, since only the President can kick diplomats out of the country. 

The DFA, through a statement issued by the Palace, warned against kicking out envoys as a “last resort,” and the possible consequences and further deterioration of bilateral ties should it happen. 

The Philippines and China have almost always had a testy relationship, especially over disputes and overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea, a part of the greater South China Sea that includes the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and features that it claims. Beijing, in contrast, claims almost all of the South China Sea. 

China’s claims have meant, at least for Philippine vessels, the danger of harassment. China Coast Guard ships have been known to use water cannons against their Philippine counterparts and even Filipino fisherfolk aboard much smaller vessels. 

In late January, the China Coast Guard rescued Filipino seafarers whose Singapore-flagged cargo ship sank close to the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. The Chinese and Philippine coast guards then worked together for rescue operations, a rare show of cooperation between the two agencies. – Rappler.com