The foreign ministers of China and the Philippines discussed the South China Sea issue – 2024-03-05 21:35:37

/ world today news/ On December 20, the member of the Politburo of the CCP Central Committee and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with his colleague from the Philippines, Enric Manalo. Currently, Sino-Philippines relations are at an impasse, the conversation between the two has attracted a lot of attention from the international community.

Why are Sino-Philippines relations facing difficulties? During the telephone conversation, China pointed out that the root cause is the change in the political position of the Philippine side, the non-compliance with the commitments made and the constant provocations at sea, and the disregard for China’s legitimate and legal rights. China also stressed that Sino-Philippines relations are at a crossroads and that the Philippine side should act prudently as it faces the choice of where to proceed.

In recent years, relations between China and the Philippines have generally been in a good state. Why did the Philippine government change its policy towards China and adopt the “risk in the South China Sea” approach? Observers point out that while the Philippine domestic issue in the South China Sea has always existed, Philippine leaders intend to show a firm stance to consolidate support in the country. On the other hand, the US and the Philippines are building cooperation in security and other fields, the Philippine foreign policy is clearly oriented towards the US.

During the conversation, the Philippines expressed hope that it will strengthen dialogue with China, make good use of the communication mechanism on maritime issues between the two countries, and work together with China to find solutions to problems. China will not close the door to dialogue and contact with the Philippines, and hopes that the Philippines will return to the right track, put into practice its commitment to dialogue and consultation to resolve differences, and work with the PRC in a consultative manner. Ultimately, the future of Sino-Philippine relations depends on what the Philippine side will do.