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Raissa Robles

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on Friday said talks with China on joint oil and gas exploration had “moved forward” – signalling hopes of a deal before he leaves office in mid-2028, despite ongoing tensions in the South China Sea.
Marcos also confirmed for the first time a “provisional understanding” with Beijing over resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal, although he insisted this did not mean Manila was seeking China’s permission or surrendering sovereignty.
Speaking to foreign correspondents, the Philippine leader sought to draw a distinction between maritime rows and the broader relationship with Beijing. He called China “our friend” and stressed that Manila would continue economic engagement.
Marcos also ruled out allowing US forces to use the Philippines as a military launch pad against China in the event of a Taiwan contingency.

The president took wide-ranging questions from the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, the second such meeting he has held in two years, disclosing that talks with China over a potential joint oil and gas exploration “gained prominence” amid the Middle East crisis that has sent oil prices soaring.
“We have to find new ways. So that’s why, as I said, this discussion has gained prominence. And where we are now, I think we have moved forward.”
He did not go into details of the talks, but said both sides were “working together”, voicing optimism in signing a deal before his term ends. “The sense that I got is that all parties involved want it to succeed. And that is always a very good sign. I would not give you a definite mandate.”
‘Standard practice’
The president acknowledged for the first time a “provisional understanding” with China over the resupply of WWII warship BRP Sierra Madre, which the Department of National Defence had grounded on the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999, to serve as a military outpost.
But he was quick to add that it was not a “special arrangement”. The military and defence department have separately issued statements in recent weeks that they were not aware of any such agreement after the Chinese embassy in Manila publicised it.
“The discussion is centred on the wrong things. These arrangements that we make are to prevent any kind of miscalculation … mistake that might lead to even greater tension and hopefully not conflict. And that’s what we are trying to avoid,” Marcos said.
It was “standard practice” to issue a notice to all sides of Manila’s maritime movements during resupply missions, he said, adding that the move was not exclusive to China.
The Philippines was not giving up “any of our sovereign rights” in doing so, he said. “Somehow the implication is that we have to ask for permission or that we have to give up some of our rights. That’s not the case at all.”


He disclosed Manila and Beijing were in constant contact.
Every time an incident occurred between Philippine and Chinese warships and coastguard vessels, he said, “we have to once again go back and talk to our friends in China and say, ‘Look, this is not headed in the right direction. Let’s find ways to bring the tension, the levels of tension down, de-escalate’.”
Manila also engaged with Beijing in other ways, he said, calling China “one of the biggest investors still in the Philippines”. When the Middle East crisis led to a global energy crunch, Beijing was “one of the countries we engaged with”, and the maritime row did not enter the conversation.
This was contrary to “the idea that we are somehow distancing ourselves from China”, he said. “China is only one of two countries [besides India] where we have made no visa policy. That is hardly distancing ourselves from China. We’re opening our doors to Chinese travel.”
Friends with US, China
He also dismissed talk that the Pax Silica arrangement with the US was an alternative to Chinese investments. “It’s not a binary thing. It’s not either or.” Pax Silica, he said, was a way of adding value to Philippine goods – for instance, minerals such as nickel, for which the country was the second largest source in the world.
And in the event of a Taiwan conflict, US military troops stationed in the Philippines would not be allowed to launch any offensive to defend the island, he said.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
“All we are concerned about is the defence of our territory … and the maintenance of peace and stability in the region. So to allow an attack on anyone from the Philippines is contrary to that policy.”

Marcos also said he was hoping to finish a maritime delimitation agreement with Japan “by this year” as part of efforts to maintain peace in Philippine waters.
Responding to reports that China is opposed to the talks, he said: “It’s essentially a bilateral discussion. However, if there are any other stakeholder parties that are interested to speak up and to get to something, that depends on Japan and the Philippines. So, we certainly [still] take into account any input that any other country has to offer.”
When the topic veered to the 2028 presidential election and if he was concerned his bitter rival Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio would jail him if she came into power, Marcos was tight-lipped, only saying he had no “fear”.
All he would say was: “When the time comes, what I hope that we will leave behind is this culture of development, of nation building. If I can do that … I will say that we have done a reasonably good job.”


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The Philippines

Philippines’ Marcos says China oil talks have ‘moved forward’ despite maritime row

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr speaks at a Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines forum on Friday. Photo: AFP

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr answers questions at a Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines lunch on Friday. Photo: AP

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A Chinese coastguard ship fires a water cannon at a Philippine vessel in South China Sea, as seen in this screengrab of a video released on July 23. Photo: Jay Tarriela/X/Handout/Reuters  

Chinese coastguard personnel on an inflatable boat confront Philippine Navy personnel aboard a rubber boat at the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, in the South China Sea on July 20. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines/AP

An electronic board showing areas of the disputed South China Sea at a conference in Manila in July to mark the 10th anniversary of a 2016 arbitration ruling, which invalidated China’s expansive claims. Photo: AP

US swaps ideology for ‘flexible realism’ and hard deterrence in Southeast Asia

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A Philippine air force helicopter passes above a coastguard vessel during a Philippine-US maritime cooperative activity in the disputed South China Sea last year. Photo: EPA-EFE

Troops from New Zealand, the Philippines, the US and Australia pose with their national flags after taking part in live-fire exercises in the Philippines on April 27. Photo: Reuters

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US Indo-Pacific Command commander, Admiral Samuel Paparo, speaks at a media conference in Baguio, Philippines, in 2024. Photo: AP

Chinese coastguard personnel on an inflatable boat confront Philippine Navy personnel aboard a rubber boat at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea in July. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines/AP

Japanese helicopter destroyer JS Ise takes part in a drill as part of the annual Balikatan military exercise in the South China Sea in April. Photo: Handout

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BRP Sierra Madre is seen grounded at the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, in the South China Sea in April 2023. Photo: AP

Chinese Coast Guard and Philippine Navy vessels confront each other at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on July 20. Photo: Handout/Reuters

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The president also confirms for the first time a ‘provisional understanding’ with China over the resupply of WWII warship Sierra Madre


The president also confirms for the first time a ‘provisional understanding’ with China over the resupply of WWII warship Sierra Madre.


Philippines’ Marcos says China oil talks have ‘moved forward’ despite maritime row

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The president also confirms for the first time a ‘provisional understanding’ with China over the resupply of WWII warship Sierra Madre

The president also confirms for the first time a ‘provisional understanding’ with China over the resupply of WWII warship Sierra Madre