China and the Philippines should work together to promote peace and stability in Asia by deepening their relations, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in a sign that Beijing is seeking to chip away at US sway in the Southeast Asian nation.
(Bloomberg) — China and the Philippines should work together to promote peace and stability in Asia by deepening their relations, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in a sign that Beijing is seeking to chip away at US sway in the Southeast Asian nation.
“Amid the ‘fluid’ and turbulent regional situation, a healthy and stable China-Philippines relationship is not only meeting the aspirations of our two peoples, but also in line with the common aspirations of regional countries,” Qin said during a three-day visit to Manila, his first trip to the Southeast Asian nation.
With President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration bolstering a longstanding defense alliance with the US, Beijing wants to strengthen ties with Manila. The Philippines recently granted the US access to more military sites near Taiwan and the South China Sea — two potential flashpoints in the region. Beijing has criticized the move.
China, Qin said, is ready to work with the Philippines to “truly implement a consensus between the presidents of the two countries.” The leaders met in January and “jointly uphold the bigger picture of our bilateral relations.”
Qin’s visit coincides with the largest US-Philippines military exercises in decades. Top diplomats and defense officials from the countries recently met in Washington, where they expressed “strong objections” to Beijing’s sea claims, and agreed to finalize plans for joint patrols in the disputed waters.
In a Friday statement, Philippine Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez said the US pledged $100 million in assistance for the acquisition of medium-lift helicopters for disaster response and non-combat operations. The US also increased funding to $100 million for developing sites that are used under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, bringing the US commitment to 11 billion pesos, he said.
Qin’s visit to the Philippines comes ahead of Marcos’s meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on May 1. They plan to discuss economic cooperation, clean energy transition investment, and efforts to uphold international law and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Philippines has bolstered defense cooperation with the US amid lingering tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea. Marcos’s government has stepped up protests against China’s actions in the disputed sea, including the potential use of a military-grade laser at a Philippine ship — a claim Beijing has denied.
China’s ties with the Southeast Asian nation have also been challenged recently by remarks made by Beijing’s envoy to Manila. Ambassador Huang Xilian attracted controversy after saying the Philippines is advised to “unequivocally oppose Taiwan independence” if the Southeast Asian country cares “genuinely” about the 150,000 Filipinos working in the island nation. Manila has adhered to the one-China principle.
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