Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s three-day visit over April 21-23 to the Philippines was aimed at shoring up the agreements Filipino President Fernando Marcos Jr. had made with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this year. Since then, the Philippines has agreed, under U.S. pressure, to set up five U.S. military bases in the Philippines. At the same time, President Marcos assured China that the U.S. bases exist only for the defense of the Philippines and will not be used for offensive operations.
Qin Gang spoke with President Marcos on his visit, underlining the importance of the Taiwan issue for China. The two sides agreed to expand their relationship and to work to overcome the maritime border disputes between the two nations. President Marcos also underlined that the issue of Taiwan was a question of China’s internal affairs, and that for Qin that it was totally supportive of the “one-China” principle. He said, “The Philippines will, as always, stay committed to the one-China policy. Manila will continue to subscribe to self-reliance, being independent and not taking sides, and it is willing to deepen its friendship with Beijing, expand collaboration and strengthen communication.
Marcos added that the Philippines will also properly handle maritime issues, prevent them from disturbing the bigger picture of bilateral ties and champion peace and prosperity in the region.
The Qin Gang visit occurred shortly before President Marcos’s May 1 visit to the United States.
