Against the backdrop of weeks of heated public exchanges between Manila and the Chinese Embassy, Philippine and Chinese officials met in Cebu in an effort to keep diplomatic channels open even as tensions over maritime issues remain high.
The meeting took place on January 29 on the sidelines of the Senior Officials’ Meeting on the implementation of the Declaration on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, where Leo M. Herrera-Lim, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) undersecretary for policy, met with Hou Yanqi, director-general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of China’s foreign ministry.
According to a short DFA statement, both sides had a “candid exchange of views” on bilateral relations, maritime-related concerns, and regional and international issues of mutual interest. They also underscored the importance of sustained diplomatic dialogue and continued cooperation across various sectors.
The talks unfolded as Manila and Beijing have been locked in an escalating word war in recent weeks, with sharp public statements exchanged between the Chinese Embassy in Manila and several Filipino officials over issues tied to the West Philippine Sea.
The dispute has grown intense enough to prompt proposals in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to declare certain Chinese Embassy officials persona non grata.
Malacañang earlier said Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. backs a “firm with diplomacy” approach—asserting Philippine sovereignty and maritime rights while preserving diplomatic space to manage tensions.
The meeting was held a day before the next round of negotiations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, a long-running effort aimed at preventing incidents and stabilizing the disputed waters.
In earlier statements, the Chinese side also pointed to possible areas of cooperation, including clean energy, the digital economy, waste-to-energy projects, agriculture, and poverty reduction.
While no detailed outcomes were disclosed, the Cebu encounter signals that despite the sharp rhetoric in the public sphere, both Manila and Beijing are still engaging through formal diplomatic mechanisms as they navigate one of the region’s most sensitive flashpoints.