China can only look on as Manila strengthens Asia-Pacific ties: experts

Name: Philippines’ Marcos hopes to take relations with Beijing to ‘higher gear’ during China visit
Uploaded: 2023-02-24T22:00:12.000Z
Duration: 2 min 33 s
Description: Philippines’ Marcos hopes to take relations with Beijing to ‘higher gear’ during China visit

Observers say Beijing is concerned about recent developments in the region and the South China Sea but its hands are tied

Manila’s framing of the waterway as a national security issue gives the US and its allies ‘an excuse to interfere’

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Tensions in the South China Sea between Beijing and Manila continue to hamper relations. Photo: AFP

Lo Hoi-ying

Published: 6:00am, 25 Feb 2023Updated: 6:24am, 25 Feb 2023

China’s ties with the Philippines are growing more challenging, despite high-level meetings and pledges to maintain good relations, as Manila seeks to strengthen its military cooperation with the US, Japan and Australia.

Manila last week agreed to a massive joint exercise with the US in its waters, including the South China Sea, and on Wednesday Australia said it was also planning patrols of the contentious waterway with the Philippines.

This was despite assurances from Manila to Beijing, in a phone call between deputy foreign minister Theresa Lazaro and foreign vice-minister Sun Weidong on February 17.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, the two sides agreed to “jointly maintain China-Philippines relations and the overall peace and stability of the South China Sea”.

Observers say Beijing is concerned about recent developments in the Asia-Pacific region and the South China Sea – subject to competing claims by China and other countries, including the Philippines – but its hands are tied.

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Philippines’ Marcos hopes to take relations with Beijing to ‘higher gear’ during China visit

Ding Duo, deputy director at the National Institute for South China Seas Studies’ Research Centre for Ocean Law and Policy, said the Chinese government was concerned that countries in the Asia-Pacific region were using its dispute with Manila over the waterway as an excuse to interfere in regional matters.