The Chinese embassy in Manila has welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pronouncement that the Philippines is open to the possibility of joint oil exploration with Beijing, stressing that China’s door to dialogue and cooperation “will remain open as long as the Philippine side demonstrates sincerity.”
The proposal comes amid concerns over a looming Middle East-driven energy crisis.
Guo Wei, deputy spokesman for the embassy, said that setting aside differences—particularly disputes over the West Philippine Sea—and pursuing joint development “is the right path to uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
He added that such cooperation would also deliver “benefits to countries in the region and their peoples.”
According to Guo, China and the Philippines have already conducted in-depth discussions on joint oil and gas development in disputed waters in the South China Sea and have made positive progress.
“As long as the Philippine side demonstrates sincerity, China’s door to dialogue and cooperation will remain open,” he reiterated.
In a recent Bloomberg interview, President Marcos said that joint oil exploration with Beijing “is something we’ve been talking about for a great deal.”
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro also noted that talks might be “forthcoming,” although none have been restarted “at this point in time.”
Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping had previously raised the possibility of joint exploration during their meeting in Beijing in 2023. (Joseph Pedrajas)
