Beijing, December 12 (ZXS) -- On December 21, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, had a telephone conversation with Philippine Foreign Minister Manaro at the request.
Wang Yi said that the root cause of the serious difficulties facing China-Philippines relations is that the Philippines has changed its policy stance so far, reneged on its commitments, and continued to provoke trouble at sea, undermining China's legitimate and legitimate rights. China-Philippines relations are at a crossroads, and the Philippines must act cautiously when faced with the choice of which way to go.
Wang Yi advised the Philippine side not to go in the wrong direction, but to return to the right path as soon as possible. The top priority at the moment is to properly handle and manage the current maritime situation. China and the Philippines are neighbors separated by a strip of water, and existing disputes should be discussed and handled. This is not only an effective way for neighboring countries to get along, but also a useful experience for the transformation of China-Philippines relations. China is committed to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation and jointly maintaining maritime stability. However, if the Philippine side misjudges the situation, insists on going its own way, or even colludes with external forces with ill intentions to continue to cause trouble, China will defend its rights in accordance with the law and resolutely respond.
Manaro introduced the Philippine side's views on the Ren'ai Jiao issue, saying that he hopes to manage differences in a manner acceptable to both sides, promote the de-escalation of tensions, and prevent conflicts. We are willing to strengthen dialogue with China in good faith, give full play to the role of the communication mechanism between the two countries on maritime issues, and jointly seek solutions to problems.
The two sides agreed to convene a meeting of the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism on the South China Sea issue as soon as possible and actively create conditions for this purpose. (ENDS)