Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, known as ‘Bongbong’, arrived in China on Tuesday as part of a three-day visit in which he hopes to address various disputes between the two countries, especially over waters in the South China Sea.
The visit marks Marcos’ first trip outside Southeast Asia since he took office last June. His predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, showed a comfortable stance towards Chinese President Xi Jinping and allowed the incursion of Chinese vessels into Philippine waters in exchange for greater investment from the Asian giant.
Now, Marcos has assured that he is looking forward to meeting with his Chinese counterpart to «work towards a better relationship between the parties» and «create opportunities for peace and development of both countries».
He has also expressed his desire to «address security issues at the regional level» and said that the goal is to «resolve disputes for mutual benefit,» according to information from the news portal Rappler.
The two are expected to discuss the possibility of joint hydrocarbon exploration in the South China Sea. To avoid an increase in tension in the area, the parties have agreed to establish a «direct communication» channel.
China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei have a dispute over the sovereignty of waters in the South China Sea, which is rich in minerals and serves as an important trade route.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s claims in the South China Sea, although the country has gone ahead with military infrastructure construction in the area. In December, Manila expressed concern over Beijing’s claim to new islands in the region and insisted that it was a violation of the principles of restraint reached in the 2012 agreement between Southeast Asian nations.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
