Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr. said he plans to invite Chinese President Xi Jinping to come to Manila for talks aimed at reducing tensions in the South China Sea as the Philippines prepares to lead the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year.
Hosting the 11-member bloc gives Manila a rare chance to shape regional priorities, which Mr Marcos said presents an “opportunity” for the Philippines to push for a legally binding code of conduct (CoC) in the disputed waters. The five ASEAN members have common maritime claims with China.
“I will definitely invite him … to show how sincere we are to President Xi Jinping,” Mr Marcos told reporters after the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. “We would like him to come to the Philippines.”
Mr Xi did not attend this year's summit, instead sending Prime Minister Li Qiang. He last joined ASEAN leaders virtually in 2021 to celebrate the 30th anniversaryth Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership.
Despite a 2016 UN-backed ruling that rejected China's sweeping claims, Manila and Beijing remain in a tense standoff over the resource-rich South China Sea.
The Philippines on Tuesday formally took over the ASEAN chairmanship from Malaysia. Mr. Marcos said, “I look forward to the opportunities and things that we will be able to do as Chairman of ASEAN.” He said that the country's hosting preparations had started eight months ago.
He said the Philippines will use its leadership role to highlight maritime issues, even if other member states do not have the same priorities.
“We cannot give up,” he said. “If we get to the point where President Xi will actually consider coming to the Philippines, that will mean we have made significant progress.” , Chloe Marie A Hufana
