Filipino and Chinese diplomats are meeting in Quanzhou from March 27 to 28 for the Philippines-China Foreign Ministry Consultations and the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs said the talks are for frank exchanges on bilateral issues and exploring cooperation in non-sensitive areas.
The Philippine delegation to the two major bilateral meetings in Quanzhou is led by Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim. In a statement on March 27, the DFA described the mechanisms as platforms for frank and candid exchanges on bilateral issues and concerns, as well as exploring possible cooperation in non-sensitive areas.
The Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea addresses overlapping territorial claims and China's aggressive actions in waters within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. The last such meeting occurred in January 2025.
The talks follow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s statement that a reset of bilateral ties with China is certainly going to happen. Amid the Philippines' 2026 ASEAN chairmanship, one goal is to conclude the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea. Diplomats from both countries held their first bilateral meeting in over a year on the sidelines of a COC meeting in Cebu in January 2026, also led by Herrera-Lim.
Marcos told Bloomberg that the global oil crisis, triggered by the United States and Israel's war on Iran, could serve as an impetus for joint gas exploration in contested areas like Recto (Reed) Bank within the Philippine EEZ. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin noted that investors are wary due to tensions between Manila and Beijing.
Through the BCM, the countries reached a provisional understanding covering rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal. Harassment, including dangerous maneuvers and water cannons by the China Coast Guard, persists in various areas of the West Philippine Sea. On March 25, a People's Liberation Army Navy frigate approached the BRP Benguet off Pag-asa Island.
