Trump to discuss Philippines issues with China’s Xi

Marcos Jr.  wants ‘reset’ of ties with Beijing

MANILA, Philippines —  US President Donald Trump yesterday vowed to discuss the Philippines’ concerns with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a phone call with President Marcos that came as fresh tensions erupted in the West Philippine Sea.

The phone conversation between Marcos and Trump tackled the “current global, economic and security situation,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.

“President Trump assured President Marcos that he (would) take up the concerns of the Philippines in his next meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping,” the PCO said.

It said the phone conversation was an offshoot of the meeting between Marcos and US State Secretary Marco Rubio at Malacañang last Wednesday.

Marcos updated Rubio on the recent incidents in the West Philippine Sea, the PCO said. Rubio was in the Philippines for the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with the US.

This developed as Malacañang said Marcos wants a “reset” of the country’s relations with China, saying he does not want a repeat of the confrontation in Ayungin Shoal that left two Filipino sailors injured by Chinese coast guard personnel.

Violence erupted on July 20 when a boatload of China Coast Guard members tried to get near the grounded BRP Sierra Madre where a handful of Filipino sailors and soldiers were stationed. A Filipino sailor was struck in the head with a baton and injured by a CCG personnel during the encounter.

Ayungin Shoal is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan, well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

China’s foreign ministry blamed the Filipinos for instigating the violence.

President Marcos  met with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan at Malacañang on Tuesday for one hour and 20 minutes. Officials said the meeting was scheduled before the Ayungin incident, and Jing described the talk as “constructive.”

“They talked, and what the President wants to happen here is for the incident not to be repeated and a reset of the relations between China and the Philippines,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said at a media briefing.

Castro said she could not provide more details, “but that is what the President expressed.”

“Whatever the issue China and the Philippines have, he wants a reset during that conversation. The ambassador of China heard him and the President heard the ambassador of China, so with that , we hope there will be a good result,” she added.

Castro said she was not present during the meeting although Marcos’ voice could be heard outside the room where it was held.

Pressed if the meeting can be considered as successful, she said: “I guess so, because after that, the ambassador came out and he was smiling at us. And when we saw the President with ES (Executive Secretary) Ralph Recto, we saw in the face of the President that it was positive and he was able to relay to China what the Philippines wants.”

In a media interview last Tuesday, Jing claimed that the Philippines violated a 2024 agreement between the Philippines and China by doing construction work on the Sierra Madre.

Castro said the document containing the agreement should come from the Chinese ambassador.

“Get it from him (Jing) if there is a written agreement. We cannot say if there is one. The statement did not come from us,” the Palace press officer said.

China claims practically the entire South China Sea, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the strategic sea lane.

In 2016, an arbitral court based in The Hague voided China’s maritime claim and affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ. The Chinese government dismissed the ruling as illegal and a mere piece of paper.

Marcos, meanwhile, visited the two Philippine Navy personnel injured in the Ayungin encounter.

The visit took place at the Camp Ricarte Station Hospital inside the headquarters of the Palawan-based Western Command.

Marcos conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu on Seaman First Class Underwater Operator Carmelo Aballe and Private Eric Lacida in recognition of their extraordinary service, exceptional bravery and unwavering commitment to protecting the country’s interests. The President also provided P100,000 each to the wounded Navy personnel.

During his visit to Palawan, Marcos also conducted an aerial inspection of the Malampaya Phase 4 Project to highlight the government’s efforts to boost energy s administration targets the delivery of new gas supply from two wells by the fourth quarter while preparations continue for the drilling of the Bagong Pag-asa-1 well.

The newly discovered reserves can deliver about 31.46 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to power about 13.11 million households for a year, the energy department said.