Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Xi Jinping agreed to restart joint oil and gas exploration and set up a direct channel of communication on South China Sea issues.
The new Philippine president is promising to shift relations to a “higher gear.” But his administration’s swift re-engagement with the U.S. is likely to pose problems.
In a veiled swipe at the US, Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian said it was necessary to manage disagreements between Manila and Beijing to get rid of outside interference from the two countries’ relations.