Xi Jinping’s first diplomatic partner in the new year is Marcos of the Philippines, a ‘pro-US move’

Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off New Year’s summit diplomacy from his home. The first interlocutor was the Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, who demonstrated a ‘pro-American move’.

On the 5th, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a joint statement containing the results of the summit between President Xi and President Marcos the previous day. In a statement, the two sides said, “President Marcos paid a state visit to China from 3 to 5, held friendly and fruitful talks with President Xi, and also met with Premier Li Keqiang and the chairman of the National People’s Permanent Congress Li Zhansu said that the two countries have signed 14 cooperation documents, including cooperation on the Belt and Road (land and sea silk road) and communication on maritime issues.” President Marcos showed sincere friendship and friendship between China and the Chinese people during this visit, and a firm belief in the future development of China-Philippines relations,” he said, agreeing to take the bilateral relations to a new level.

The Philippines is a military and economic center in Southeast Asia, a country where the United States and China are working hard to expand their influence. Unlike former president Rodrigo Duterte, who has been openly pro-China since he took office in June last year, Marcos has shown a desire to strengthen relations with the United States while keeping his distance from China. After taking office in September last year, he first visited the United States and held talks with President Joe Biden, and held a joint military exercise with the United States near the South China Sea in October, a land area disputed with China. The United States has also shown an active attitude to improve relations with the Philippines, which could be a key point in containing China, such as Secretary of State Tony Blincoln in August last year and Vice President Kamala Harris visiting the Philippines in November and promising security cooperation in the South China Sea.

It is estimated that President Marcos has entered a real tightrope between the United States and China. The Philippines is in a territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, but is in a position where it cannot distance itself from China economically. The Philippines asked China to supply 150,000 tons of fertilizers to boost agricultural production last year as the food crisis worsened. At this meeting, the two heads of state also resumed negotiations on offshore oil and gas development controlling differences on the South China Sea issue, deepened cooperation in the four key areas of agriculture, infrastructure, energy and of humanities and strengthened cooperation in defence, security, science and technology and trade, also deciding to broaden the path of cooperation in the field of investment.

China’s official Global Times described the meeting as “a new golden era for China-Philippines relations”.