(Eagle News) — President Bongbong Marcos on Thursday, Nov. 17, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 9th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting.
According to the Office of the Press Secretary, the “two leaders discussed strengthening and expanding the Philippines-China relationship…”
The statement said this was particularly “in the areas of agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and people-to-people connections.”
The statement, however, was silent on whether or not the West Philippine Sea dispute was discussed.
Earlier, the President said he hoped to discuss the issue with the Chinese leader during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit held in Cambodia.
During the ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh last week, the President called for the finalization of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the West Philippine Sea to ensure stability in the region.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands ruled in favor of the Philippines after it declared Beijing’s claim over the South China Sea as illegal.