The Philippines and China have agreed to sustain diplomatic dialogue despite continuing tensions, following a telephone conversation between their foreign ministers.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held an extensive discussion on Tuesday, describing their exchange as “frank, pragmatic and constructive.”
However, Beijing offered a more critical assessment of the state of bilateral relations. According to China's state news agency Xinhua, Wang cited what he called “malicious interference” and criticized certain politicians for making statements and taking actions he said crossed China's red lines.
The Philippine foreign ministry said Manila remains committed to fulfilling its responsibilities as this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.
Both officials also assured each other that their respective leaders would receive appropriate courtesies during the upcoming ASEAN summit in Manila and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Shenzhen later this month.
The Philippine foreign ministry also confirmed that Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to attend the ASEAN meetings in Manila.
