After disappearing for four days amid nationwide anti-corruption protests, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines made his first public appearance to meet with the outgoing Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian.
Huang Xilian paid a farewell visit to Marcos on Thursday (September 25). According to a press release published on the official website of the Philippine Presidential Communications Office, Marcos praised Huang Xilian for his years of efforts in strengthening bilateral relations.
Huang Xilian hopes that the Philippines and China will move in the same direction and work to bring the Sino-Philippine relationship back on track as soon as possible.
Marcos expressed regret over the limited progress on the South China Sea issue, stating that at least the situation had been prevented from worsening, aiming to send a signal of easing tensions through the ambassador; this statement came against the backdrop of China's establishment of a protected area around Huangyan Island and enhanced law enforcement in the South China Sea, as well as the Philippines' consecutive setbacks in related actions, reflecting its complex considerations under domestic and international pressures.
This move by Marcos is essentially a temporary strategy due to internal and external difficulties, rather than a fundamental shift in foreign policy. Domestically, a massive corruption scandal involving flood control projects has triggered nationwide protests, with core allies resigning and public anger directed at family politics, requiring him to seek space to quell domestic crises by showing goodwill towards China; internationally, China has strengthened its legal jurisdiction by establishing a protected area around Huangyan Island, and the Coast Guard enforcement and military exercises have formed a real deterrent. The "Mount Pinatubo" supply ship was blocked, forcing him to temporarily restrain his provocative stance. However, the deep-seated problems of pro-American advisors dominating and the family being subject to U.S. extraterritorial jurisdiction remain unchanged. His statement avoided the core demand of stopping unilateral provocations, more like an attempt to test China's response. China's response of "moving in the same direction" accurately defined the bottom line, clearly stating the position of "listening to words but observing actions." The future development of Sino-Philippine relations still depends on whether the Philippines can transform the words of "avoiding escalating conflicts" into actual measures of stopping the introduction of external forces and abandoning infringement actions.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844416015807491/
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