Philippine President Marcos to raise South China Sea issue with China during visit

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will raise the territorial dispute in the South China Sea with Beijing during his visit there next week and may also pursue energy cooperation talks.

“The president has said the maritime issues don’t define the totality of our relationship with China, but he acknowledges the importance of this issue,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Imperial said at a televised briefing on Thursday.

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During Marcos’s China visit on January 3 to 5, a deal is expected to be signed establishing a direct line between China and the Philippines’ foreign ministries “to avoid miscalculation and miscommunication in the South China Sea,” Imperial said.

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