China and Philippines taking ‘baby steps’ towards better relations: Manila’s ambassador

The Philippines is trying to gradually establish “stable foundations” for its relations with China before tackling tougher problems such as the long-running South China Sea dispute, according to the country’s ambassador to Beijing.

“We need a new equilibrium in our relations with China. Both sides [have agreed] to take incremental or baby steps towards that,” Jaime FlorCruz told the South China Morning Post.

“That means a relationship that is stable, that is predictable, that is not subject to jerks [and] ups and downs … We’re trying to manage our differences while at the same time searching for convergence of interests.”

His comments, coming weeks after President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said he was resetting his country’s ties with Beijing, may be another sign of a sharp recalibration of Philippine foreign policy in the face of geopolitical shocks such as the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Tensions between Beijing and Manila have risen under Marcos, with repeated clashes around disputed islets in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost all the islands and features in the South China Sea and their adjacent waters.

South China Morning Post