Marcos, Xi to meet on abating WPS

In the meantime, the US consistently reassured the Philippines it would come to its defense should there be an armed attack on local forces in the disputed waters.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday (US time) that he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in San Francisco to address issues regarding the South China Sea.

In a video message, Marcos said he would ask Xi “what we can do to bring down the temperature, to not escalate the situation” in the disputed sea. He said the meeting would take place “sometime today.”

“We will put together the ways forward because we are continuously trying to maintain the peace,” Marcos said.

He said in a meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris, she asked about the Philippines’ latest evaluation of the situation in the contested waters.

“We tried to discuss some of the ways forward and I think that, generally speaking, especially after my meeting with President Xi, after that we will put together the ways forward,” Marcos said.

The President and Harris both reiterated the strength of US-Philippine ties, including their commitment to respecting international law, particularly in the South China Sea.

Marcos’ and Xi’s discussions would be their first since January, when they had their first meeting during the former’s state visit to Beijing, at which they decided that their relationship went beyond the maritime issue.

But a few weeks after, relations were again tense. Early in February, Marcos infuriated Beijing by allowing the US military access to four additional Philippine bases, including ones close to Taiwan.

In the meantime, the US consistently reassured the Philippines it would come to its defense should there be an armed attack on local forces in the disputed waters.

When the Chinese coast guard fired a military-grade laser at a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea in February, briefly blinding the crew, Marcos summoned Beijing’s envoy to Manila.

Since then, tensions increased as Manila accused Chinese vessels of intimidating Philippine resupply boats delivering provisions to its sole outpost, a grounded ship, on Ayungin Shoal.

A Chinese ship fired a water cannon at a Philippine boat on a resupply trip early this month, and two separate incidents of maritime collisions occurred between the two nations last month.

Marcos’ and Xi’s discussions would be their first since January, when they had their first meeting during the former’s state visit to Beijing.

‘We will put together the ways forward because we are continuously trying to maintain the peace,’ Marcos said.