No Xi but Li expected in PH
China’s warning to rein in Filipino politicians who cross its “red lines” and renewed tensions over the West Philippine Sea are casting a shadow over efforts to stabilize bilateral relations ahead of the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Manila later this month.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is not expected to attend the Asean Summit on Nov. 16 to Nov. 18, but President Marcos is looking forward to welcoming Premier Li Qiang, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.
The anticipated visit comes amid continuing diplomatic friction between Manila and Beijing over maritime disputes, political statements and disagreements on joint oil and gas exploration.
Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the participation of their respective leaders in upcoming regional meetings during a telephone conversation on Nov. 3.
Lazaro conveyed Mr. Marcos’ anticipation of Li’s attendance, noting that the Chinese premier had traditionally led Beijing’s delegation to Asean-related meetings in recent years.
The DFA statement did not confirm whether Xi would attend. The Chinese president has never personally participated in an Asean summit, including the special Asean-China meeting in November 2021, which he joined through video link during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Marcos has expressed hope that Xi would attend the Manila gathering to help conclude the decadeslong negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
Wang, meanwhile, expressed China’s expectation that Mr. Marcos would attend the 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen on Nov. 18 to Nov. 19.
“Both ministers assured each other that their respective leaders would be accorded the proper courtesies and assistance during these meetings,” the DFA said.
The Manila summit is expected to draw leaders of the 11 Asean member states and heads of government from 12 dialogue partners, including President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Mr. Marcos has also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin, although Moscow has yet to confirm his participation.
The diplomatic exchange, however, was accompanied by a pointed warning from Wang, who urged Manila to rein in Filipino politicians he accused of repeatedly attacking and smearing China.
Red lines
In a statement on the telephone conversation, China’s foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying bilateral relations were facing “malicious interference.”
“A small number of politicians” in the Philippines had repeatedly attacked China “out of political prejudice and for their own selfish interests, crossing China’s red lines,” Wang said, without identifying the individuals or specifying the statements that prompted his criticism.
He urged Manila to “strengthen its oversight of the individuals concerned and send a rational and unified message on its China policy.”
The warning came amid a series of diplomatic confrontations, including the Philippine government’s summoning of Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan in October after he made remarks that China could easily win a conflict with the Philippines.
Several Filipino senators subsequently called for Jing’s expulsion, while the Chinese Embassy accused Philippine officials of making provocative statements and undermining bilateral relations.
Beijing also recently accused Manila of putting up obstacles to its participation in the Asean gathering, an allegation rejected by Philippine officials.
Diplomatic reset
The DFA described the Lazaro-Wang conversation as “frank, pragmatic and constructive,” saying it reflected the two countries’ interest in maintaining a stable and predictable relationship based on mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Both sides agreed on three principles for managing bilateral ties: maintaining diplomacy and dialogue, avoiding actions and rhetoric that could unnecessarily heighten tensions, and resolving disputes peacefully while responsibly managing differences.
Lazaro stressed that good relations with China served the interests of both countries and the region, and should be sustained through regular high-level exchanges, ministry-to-ministry channels and established bilateral and regional mechanisms.
The discussion also covered maritime concerns, although the DFA said the focus was on restoring relations to an “even keel” and upholding the 1975 Joint Communiqué, which remains the foundation of diplomatic relations and the Philippines’ One China Policy.
The department also welcomed an appeal by Philippine business and sectoral organizations for the stabilization of relations, describing their statement as a constructive contribution to foreign policy discussions.
Teodoro stands firm
But Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. questioned China’s call for prudence on maritime issues, warning that the Philippines could lose the benefits of its maritime resources if it failed to defend its rights in the West Philippine Sea.
Speaking at the 97th founding anniversary of Misamis Occidental in Oroquieta City on Wednesday, Teodoro said the country’s future development would increasingly depend on resources beneath its surrounding waters.
“The resources we need to prosper can no longer be found on land. We must go to the sea,” he said in Filipino.
“That is why we are fighting for our 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea, and in the even larger Pacific Ocean, so that we may secure the fish and the oil and gas resources found beneath the waters, for the sake of your future,” he added.
Teodoro said other countries could benefit if the Philippines failed to protect its maritime entitlements.
“The West Philippine Sea is a catalyst for development,” he said. “International law has granted that to us. It belongs to us. But if we just sit back and relax, nothing will happen. We have to fight for it.”
He also reiterated his opposition to joint oil and gas exploration with China, disputing the Chinese Embassy’s accusation that he had obstructed negotiations.
Teodoro said former President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the negotiations in June 2022 over constitutional concerns, upon the advice of then Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.
The Philippines and China signed a memorandum of understanding in November 2018 to establish a framework for possible cooperation in oil and gas exploration, but the talks ended without a final agreement.
“That is illegal,” Teodoro said, citing constitutional restrictions, a Supreme Court ruling and the Philippines’ 2016 arbitral victory.
The Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a 2005 tripartite agreement among the Philippines, China and Vietnam for joint marine seismic surveys. The ruling concerned that earlier agreement, not the separate 2018 Philippine-China framework.
Teodoro also maintained that China had no valid overlapping maritime claim that could justify joint exploration in areas where the Philippines exercises sovereign rights.
“How can we set that aside when it’s the law?” he said when asked whether the two countries could put aside their differences to pursue joint exploration. —WITH A REPORT FROM AFP
