BEIJING, China— President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping have both signified willingness to resume the discussion on the oil and gas exploration in the West Philippines Sea.
Marcos announced this after his bilateral meeting with Xi on Wednesday, Jan. 4, during his three-day state visit here.
"I really hope—I would very much like, as you have suggested, Mr. President, to be able to announce that we are continuing negotiations and that we hope that these negotiations will bear fruit because the pressure upon not only China, not only the Philippines but the rest of the world to move away from the traditional fronts of power," Marcos said.
The President stressed that the continuing negotiation for the joint exploration between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea is very important to the Philippines as he earlier stated that the country needs the resources it could get from the sea.
Marcos also revealed that Xi vowed to assist the Philippines in developing the administration's priority areas, such as agriculture, fisheries, energy, and infrastructure.
The Chinese leader has welcomed the President, the first state leader to visit China this year and since it closed borders due to Covid surge, through a welcoming ceremony, followed by their bilateral meeting and a banquet at the Great Hall of People.
"Mr. President, your current trip is a trip to honor history, but more importantly, it is to open up the future. I look forward to having discussions with you to carry forward the friendship and further promote bilateral relationship," President Xi said in his welcome remarks during their bilateral talks.
"Together, let's deepen cooperation and draw out a blueprint with China-Philippines cooperation in the new era. This way, we will bring more benefits to our people and contribute to peace and stability in the region," he added.
In his response, Marcos said the Philippines and China should strengthen their partnership to make the two countries stable and strong and keep the region a driving force behind the new global economy.
The chief executive said they "covered so many subjects much more than is usual for this very formal meeting," including the plight of Filipino fishermen to be allowed to fish in their natural fishing ground.
"I am quite gratified that we made a good start but it is but a start," Marcos said.
The two leaders also talked about the trade imbalance between the two countries, the Durian protocol, renewable energy, people to people relationships, tourism, cultural exchanges, education exchanges, infrastructure development, and climate change.