Philippines, China agree to avoid ‘miscalculation’ over South China Sea

The Philippines and China will avoid “miscalculation” in the disputed South China Sea, Manila says, ahead of a summit between the presidents of the two countries in the Chinese capital next week.

At a televised briefing on Thursday, Neal Imperial, the Philippine assistant secretary for Asian and Pacific affairs, said the two countries would establish a direct line of communication between foreign ministries to avoid “miscalculation and miscommunication” in the hotly disputed sea.

"To avoid miscalculation and miscommunication in the West Philippine Sea, both sides have agreed to sign an agreement establishing... direct communication between the foreign ministries of both countries at various levels," he said.

Manila refers to the waters immediately west of the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea, which constitutes parts of the South China Sea.

China claims sovereignty over virtually all of the South China Sea, which is also claimed in part by Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The waters are believed to sit atop vast reserves of oil and gas.

According to Imperial, the deal will be signed next week during a visit by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of Beijing, where he will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The official said apart from raising the territorial dispute in the South China Sea with Xi, Marcos would also pursue energy cooperation with the Chinese leader during the visit, which will be made on January 3-5. 

“The president has said the maritime issues don’t define the totality of our relationship with China, but he acknowledges the importance of this issue,” Imperial said. Other areas where agreements might also be forged, he said, include agriculture, trade and renewable energy.

Marcos’ visit to China comes more than three months after his trip to the United States, where he met with President Joe Biden.

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China has also constructed several artificial islands over the past few years in the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea, in a move that the US has denounced as a land reclamation project. The US, which sides with Beijing’s rivals in their territorial claims, also sends its warships close to the islands in what it calls “freedom of navigation” patrols.

The Spratly Islands, known as Nansha Islands in China, lie at the heart of the South China Sea territorial dispute.

Imperial said the agreement would formalize "procedures" for contact between the two countries when a dispute arose. "Before it could be a waiting game," he said. "It could be the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) doing it, could be other formal... contacts."

According to the official, the Philippine president would "continue to uphold our country's sovereignty" as he seeks "a peaceful and stable situation in the West Philippine Sea."

Up to 14 bilateral agreements are expected to be inked during the visit, which comes as China battles increasing COVID-19 cases.

The Philippine president and his delegation, including former President Gloria Arroyo, senior ministers and business leaders, would travel in a "bubble" to mitigate the risk of infection, Imperial said.

The visit, according to the official, is expected to yield 1.5 billion yuan ($215 million) in grants, as well as agreements on tourism and bridge projects.

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