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BEIJING — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has cited secure ties with China throughout a go to to Beijing by which he has sought to downplay territorial disputes within the South China Sea.
After being laborious hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, each nations are in search of to recharge investments in bridges and different initiatives, together with tourism and agriculture.
Disputes linger nonetheless over islands and waters within the strategic South China Sea, which Beijing claims nearly in its entirety.
In a video deal with launched by his workplace Wednesday, Marcos stated the edges mentioned “what we are able to do to maneuver ahead, to keep away from potential errors, misunderstandings that would set off an even bigger downside than what we have already got.”
Marcos stated he made the case for Filipino fishermen who’ve been denied entry to their conventional areas of operation by China’s navy and coast guard.
“The president promised that we might discover a compromise and discover a resolution that shall be helpful in order that our fishermen may be capable of fish once more of their pure fishing grounds,” Marcos stated.
A joint assertion issued Thursday stated Xi and Marcos had an “in-depth and candid trade of views on the state of affairs within the South China Sea, emphasised that maritime points don’t comprise the sum-total of relations between the 2 international locations and agreed to appropriately handle variations by way of peaceable means,” in accordance with China’s official Xinhua Information Company.
“Each side reaffirmed the significance of sustaining and selling peace and stability within the area and the liberty of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea,” the assertion added.
Accompanied by a big enterprise delegation, Marcos presided at conferences Thursday in search of to finalize commerce and funding offers. China accounts for 20% of the Philippines’ international commerce and can be a serious supply of international direct funding.
China’s official Xinhua Information Company stated that either side “agreed to deal with maritime points correctly by way of pleasant session” and resume talks on oil and gasoline exploration.
Xi named agriculture, infrastructure, power and tradition as 4 key areas of cooperation. He stated that China is keen to help in agriculture and rural improvement within the Philippines and in infrastructure and connectivity initiatives, Xinhua reported.
Marcos obtained a dedication from Xi to deal with the Philippines’ commerce deficit with China, his workplace stated. The 2 sides are finalizing guidelines for imports of fruits from the Philippines, which Marcos stated would begin to stability the commerce.
The Philippine chief stated he additionally appeared ahead to the return of Chinese language vacationers as soon as the COVID-19 state of affairs in China settles. Final yr, solely about 9,500 Chinese language visited the Philippines, down from about 1.6 million earlier than the pandemic.
In feedback to the pinnacle of China’s ceremonial legislature, Li Zhanshu, Marcos stated the 2 international locations “be capable of face the challenges and the totally different shocks that now we’re already starting to really feel and shall be proceed to really feel within the subsequent few years.”
Beijing has ignored a 2016 ruling by a tribunal in The Hague introduced by the Philippines that invalidated Beijing’s claims to the waterway.
China has since developed disputed reefs into synthetic islands with airplane runways and different constructions so that they now resemble ahead navy bases.
Most lately, a Filipino navy commander reported that the Chinese language coast guard forcibly seized Chinese language rocket particles that Philippine navy personnel had retrieved within the South China Sea final month.
China denied the forcible seizure, saying the Filipino sailors willingly handed over the particles. Marcos didn’t say whether or not he had raised the problem in his conferences with Chinese language leaders.
