Phl, China pledge calmer ties

The Philippines and China have agreed to address their disputes through diplomacy and avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could further strain bilateral relations, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

The announcement follows an appeal by a coalition of Filipino business groups calling for de-escalation of tensions between the two countries amid the persistent heated exchanges between the Chinese Embassy in Manila and top Philippine officials.

They warned that prolonged conflict threatens trade and economic ties that harm livelihoods and sustain development in Manila, citing China and Hong Kong as accounting for nearly 30 percent of the country’s total international trade in recent years, making them the largest trading partners of the Philippines.

The DFA confirmed that DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and her counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, reached a consensus — through a phone call — to maintain diplomacy, open communication, and mutual respect to ease Philippine-China strained relations.

The DFA clarified that while it wants to maintain better relations with China, the Philippines remains firm in asserting territorial rights in the WPS.

“The DFA has consistently maintained that diplomacy, dialogue, and mutually beneficial practical cooperation can be pursued without compromising the assertion and protection of the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction,” the statement reads.

“This approach provides the foundation for a stable and predictable relationship with China,” it added.

According to the DFA, Yi called Lazaro on Tuesday. The move follows reports that Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro Jr. strongly opposed calls for Manila to take the initiative to de-escalate tensions with Beijing, when China is the one creating “trouble” in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Reports state that Yi told Lazaro that Philippine-China bilateral relations are currently “facing malicious interference,” accusing some Filipino officials of “repeatedly attack[ing] and smear[ing] China out of political prejudice and for their own selfish interests, crossing China’s red lines.”

The discussion also reportedly covered other concerns, including maritime issues, but focused on restoring balance to the relationship and supporting the 1975 Joint Communiqué, which remains the foundation of Philippines-China cooperation and the Philippines’ One China Policy.

“The Philippines remains committed to a stable, predictable, mutually respectful, and mutually beneficial relationship with China, in accordance with the national interest and in pursuit of an independent foreign policy as enshrined in the Philippine Constitution,” the statement concluded.

The Philippines and China have long been locked in a maritime dispute over competing claims in the WPS, though tensions have become more pronounced in recent weeks after Philippine legislators called for the expulsion and declared Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan persona non grata following his contentious remarks about Beijing’s ability to “easily win” a conflict with Manila through the “use of force.”

The DFA had already summoned Jing and warned him to take diplomatic action against Beijing officials in Manila if they continue taunting lawmakers.

The embassy protested the lawmakers’ call and warned that they could face retaliation, including a ban on entering Beijing.

To date, Teodoro and former Senator and now DoLE Secretary Francis Tolentino were the first Philippine officials blacklisted from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, heightening geopolitical tensions between Manila and Beijing over the contested WPS.