President Marcos Visits China... Chinese Media Say "Tensions Between Two Countries Eased"

The Biggest Issue is the South China Sea Problem
Attempts at Practical Economic Cooperation in Energy and Other Sectors

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the President of the Philippines, is on a three-day visit to China, drawing attention to the outcomes of the bilateral summit. The two countries are expected to sign bilateral agreements for substantial economic cooperation and also discuss the South China Sea issue, which has been a source of conflict and tension.

According to China's state-run Global Times (GT) and local Philippine media on the 4th, President Marcos, who is visiting China from the 3rd to the 5th, will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on this day. Ahead of his visit, he stated, "We will open a new chapter of comprehensive strategic cooperation with China," adding that the relationship "(between the two countries) will be elevated to a higher level." The Philippine presidential office announced that the two countries will sign more than 10 agreements in areas such as trade and investment, energy, and infrastructure.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This is his first visit to China as president since taking office in June last year. His meeting with President Xi is about 50 days after their last summit at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Bangkok, Thailand, in November last year.

In the ongoing power competition between the United States and China, the Philippines, a military-strategic key point connecting the South China Sea and the Pacific, has always attracted international attention for its diplomatic policies. After visiting the U.S. in September last year and holding a summit with President Joe Biden, President Marcos has shown a diplomatic approach that leans closer to the U.S. compared to his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who favored China more.

The biggest issue between the two countries remains the territorial dispute over the South China Sea. In November last year, diplomatic tensions escalated when the Philippine military attempted to tow Chinese rocket debris that fell into the South China Sea, and China tried to retrieve it by force. The Philippine government mentioned before the president’s visit to China that a direct communication channel between the two countries regarding the South China Sea should be established.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In China, President Marcos’s visit has been welcomed as a step toward easing tensions between the two countries. The GT emphasized, "China and the Philippines will continuously promote mutually beneficial cooperation, which serves as a driving force and engine for the development of relations," adding, "They will manage and control the flashpoints in the South China Sea to prevent them from becoming obstacles to practical cooperation or undermining peace and stability." It also noted, "There has been extensive communication on the South China Sea issue, and in recent years, China’s cumulative approved investment in the Philippines has quadrupled," stressing that "China is the Philippines’ largest trading partner, largest importer, and second-largest export market."

Furthermore, the GT pointed out, "President Marcos’s visit to China is being closely watched by the U.S. and Western media," warning that "they will try to find cracks in the bilateral relations over the South China Sea issue to amplify discord and disputes." It added, "China and the Philippines have reached a consensus on joint oil and gas development," calling it "an important step toward building the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation."

Hu Ziyong, director of the International Relations Institute at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP), "President Marcos’s visit to China is clearly aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two countries," and assessed that "it will help stabilize relations." Regarding the South China Sea dispute, he said, "If well managed, it is a minor issue," and evaluated that "amid fierce competition between the U.S. and China to expand regional influence, the Philippines will attempt a balanced approach."