PH, China meet for maritime talk, ‘possible cooperation in non-sensitive areas’

2026-03-27 - 10:01

MANILA, Philippines — Days after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that a “reset” of bilateral ties with China was “certainly going to happen,” Filipino diplomats flew to Quanzhou for two major bilateral meetings. From March 27 to 28, representatives from the two countries will meet for the Philippines-China Foreign Ministry Consultations and the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement to the media on March 27. The Philippine delegation is led by DFA Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim. “The two meetings are important bilateral dialogue mechanisms that are meant for frank and candid exchanges on bilateral issues and concerns, as well as exploring possible cooperation in non-sensitive areas,” said the DFA. The Bilateral Consultation Mechanism is the platform through which Beijing and Manila bring up issues in the South China Sea, to include overlapping territorial claims, as well as China’s aggressive actions in waters within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. The last BCM meeting between the Philippines and China happened over a year ago, in January 2025. Manila has been seeking a fresh start to its bilateral relations with its northern neighbor — an effort that was most felt at the start of 2026, or just as the Philippines began its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). One of the Philippines’ goals in 2026 is to conclude the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea between ASEAN and China. It was on the sidelines of a COC meeting in Cebu in January 2026 that diplomats of the two countries met bilaterally for the first time in over a year. Herrera-Lim also led the Philippine delegation for that meeting. Marcos said in a Bloomberg interview that the global oil crisis triggered by the United States and Israel’s war on Iran could be an “impetus” for Manila and Beijing to explore talks for joint gas exploration in contested areas in the South China Sea. Within the Philippines’ EEZ is Recto (Reed) Bank, believed to contain vast deposits of gas. Service contracts have been rewarded for the area, yet no exploration activities have since commenced. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin earlier said investors were wary of funding gas exploration projects in the Philippines because of tensions between Manila and Beijing in those waters. It was through the BCM that the two countries negotiated a “provisional understanding” that covers rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal. However, harassment — in the form on dangerous maneuvers and the China Coast Guard’s use of water cannons — continue to happen in different areas and features in the West Philippine Sea. On March 25, a People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate sailed close to the BRP Benguet off the waters of Pas-asa Island, the largest Philippine-occupied island with a permanent civilian population in the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com