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PH working to 'redefine' relations with China -PBBM

Philippine News Agency

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
October 28, 2025, 10:22 pm

KUALA LUMPUR -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said the Philippines is working to "redefine" its partnership with China — balancing the two states' cooperation while continuing to assert its rights and sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

"I continue to find ways to redefine our relationship with China. I really believe that the way forward is to change," he said in a Kapihan with the media briefing here.

Marcos indicated that the maritime row is not the sum total of the relations and that there is a "huge possibility for trade, exchanges," and other kinds of discussions and engagements between China and the Philippines.

"So, I would very much like to say, all right, we disagree, we agree to disagree, now let's do other things, let's do other things," he said.

"And that's what I will try to achieve in the year of our Chairship here in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)."

Earlier in the 28th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China Summit, Marcos said Manila is open to exploring cooperative activities as well as mechanisms that would prevent risks of incidents in the South China Sea.

At the same time, Marcos said "cooperation cannot exist alongside coercion," while calling out provocative and dangerous actions that put the lives of Filipino fishermen and sailors at risk at sea.

He also mentioned Manila's rejection of the Chinese plan to put up a nature reserve in the Bajo de Masinloc or South China Sea.

Meanwhile, he said the Philippines will invite Chinese President Xi Jinping to its hosting of the ASEAN next year.

"I will certainly invite him and I would make all of the efforts available —all of the ways available, the means that we have available to us to show how sincere— to President Xi Jinping how sincere we are that we would like for him to come to the Philippines," he said.

Marcos was responding to a question about whether the Philippines aspires for Xi to be in Manila for the signing of the COC, assuming the negotiators finish the talks by 2026.

"But, you know, that would presume that we have made some serious progress in our talks with them," he said.

If it comes to a point where Xi will consider coming to the Philippines, Marcos said that would signal "we have made significant progress" in engaging China.

"And that would be a great thing, that would be just a great thing," he said. (PNA)