China and the Philippines said in a joint statement Thursday that they agreed to establish a direct communication channel between their foreign ministries in the South China Sea to resolve disputes peacefully. The joint statement, which contained 14 agreements aimed at easing security tensions and boosting economic cooperation, comes as the two sides seek to repair a damaged relationship after the Philippines sought an arbitration award in 2016 that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea .
The Philippines has previously expressed concern over reported Chinese construction activities and the “swarming” of Beijing vessels in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, an area rich in oil, gas and fishing resources. In a joint statement issued after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday, the two leaders reaffirmed that their countries will respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The two sides also agreed to resume talks on oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea and to discuss cooperation in areas such as solar, wind, electric vehicles and nuclear power. Coast guards from China and the Philippines would also meet “as soon as possible” to discuss “pragmatic cooperation”.
The two countries would consider informing each other when launching missiles and cooperating in recovering missile fragments, the statement said. Last November, when debris from a Chinese missile landed in the South China Sea, a Chinese coast guard ship stopped a Philippine ship trying to tow it away.
The two countries reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability as well as freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea and will hold an annual security dialogue, the statement said. In terms of economic cooperation, China has agreed to let in more Philippine imports with the goal of bringing bilateral trade back to or surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
Both sides also promised to increase the number of tourists and flights between the two capitals to pre-pandemic levels. The joint statement also said that the two sides would cooperate in purchasing vaccines. China is among the world’s largest exporters of vaccines against COVID-19.
Marcos’ three-day visit to Beijing comes as China is reawakening from a voluntary border closure since the start of the pandemic in 2020, which has disrupted trade and damaged its economy. The two sides also renewed an agreement on the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi’s signature strategy for overseas infrastructure investment.
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