On October 15th, H.E. Ambassador Jing Quan attended the 2nd Diliman Dialogues "Southeast Asian Voices on ASEAN–China Relations: Pathways to Peace in the South China Sea", together with scholars from ASEAN countries, and delivered remarks. Here’s the full text:

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen, and friends,

    It is a great pleasure to attend the Second Diliman Dialogue and to engage in in-depth exchanges with the distinguished scholars, media personages and diplomats, and beyond. I look forward to insightful discussions that will stimulate fresh thinking and generate more targeted and actionable policy recommendations.

    I have just returned from Beijing, where I spent a considerable amount of time briefing officials at various levels on the latest developments in China-Philippines relations and the work of the Chinese Embassy. I also held discussions with relevant departments on key issues in our bilateral relations, exchanging views and aligning assessments, while listening carefully to their perspectives and guidance.

    My overriding impression is that China-Philippines relations have reached an extremely sensitive and critical juncture, one that calls for prudence and careful handling. One of the most important considerations, in my view, is the need to adopt a differentiated approach—addressing issues at different levels and across different areas, and handling each matter on its own merits.

    I believe that China-Philippines relations cannot be reduced to a simplistic judgment of being “good” or “bad.” One may observe that, while maritime disputes have cast a shadow over the general atmosphere of bilateral relations, trade and people-to-people exchanges remain strong. Similarly, law enforcement cooperation between the two countries may be proceeding well in certain areas, while the selective enforcement of laws against Chinese nationals raises serious concerns in others. The anti-China forces act in despicable ways, yet the Philippine people at large are kind and honest.

    China-Philippines relations are, in essence, a complex and multifaceted relationship. They cannot be approached through sweeping generalizations or one-size-fits-all decisions. Instead, we need to adopt a more nuanced and calibrated approach, assessing each issue in its own context and formulating responses accordingly. Otherwise, we risk falling into a vicious cycle of reciprocal countermeasures and retaliation. Such a downward spiral would only play into the hands of the forces seeking to undermine China-Philippines relations.

    In managing China-Philippines relations, it is therefore essential to pursue differentiated strategies for different issues.

    Take the maritime issue for example. It is widely regarded internationally as one of the most intractable disputes, one that could remain unresolved for decades, or even a century or more. China has maritime disputes not only with the Philippines, but also with Vietnam, Malaysia, and other countries. Yet these disputes have, by and large, been effectively managed through dialogue and consultation. Our approach is what we call “shelving disputes and pursuing joint development.”

    The Philippines, too, has maritime disputes with Vietnam and Malaysia, yet these have not become as prominent or contentious as those with China.

    When it comes to managing maritime disputes, the most important thing is for both sides to maintain a safe distance and avoid accidental incidents. In particular, deliberate provocations should be avoided, neither should manufacture incidents, sensationalize or hype up confrontations, or take actions that could escalate tensions.

    On dialogue and engagement, China and the Philippines have resumed political dialogue and held five rounds of talks. In July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings in the Philippines, after which he held in-depth discussions with Philippine Foreign Secretary Lazaro. Visits by delegations from China's National Health Commission, Ministry of Public Security, and Ministry of National Defense are scheduled.

    On the Philippine side, the Secretaries of Agriculture and Trade and Industry, along with a number of local officials, have visited China. In November, the Philippines will host ASEAN Summit and the related summits, while China will host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen. We should build on this positive momentum, continue to move toward each other, and sustain dialogue and exchanges. The more we engage with each other, the better we understand each other. Without engagement, relations will only grow colder and deteriorate further.

    On trade and investment, China has been the Philippines’ largest trading partner and biggest source of imports for ten consecutive years. In the first half of this year, bilateral trade reached US$44.52 billion, up about 20% year on year. Yet it accounted for less than 7% of China-ASEAN trade, leaving plenty of room for growth.

    Recently, the Philippines sent a 313-member national delegation to the China-ASEAN Expo as the guest country of honor. Preliminary sales reached US$60 million, a record high for the Philippines at the Expo.

    However, the scale and pace of Chinese investment in the Philippines still lag far behind those in other ASEAN countries. It remains well below levels in Vietnam and Indonesia, and even below that in smaller economies like Cambodia and Laos, with only Brunei receiving less.

    Growing trade and investment between China and the Philippines benefits both sides. China’s strengths in high technology, AI, modern agriculture, and clean energy could help improve people’s lives and accelerate the Philippines’ economic transformation. However, in recent years, our relations have experienced a downward trend, undermining investor confidence. We need to take concrete steps to improve the business environment and restore the confidence of Chinese enterprises and citizens in investing in the Philippines.

    As for people-to-people exchanges, since the beginning of this year, several new direct flight routes have been established between China and the Philippines alongside some resumed ones, including Quanzhou–Cebu, Chongqing–Manila, and Fuzhou–Manila. Looking ahead, we are also considering the launch of direct flights between Kunming and Manila, as well as Haikou and Manila, to further facilitate travel between our two countries.

    According to the Philippine Department of Tourism, 303,000 Chinese tourists visited the Philippines in the first eight months of this year, representing a 93 percent increase over the same period last year. During China's recent extended Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, the Philippine island destinations of Boracay and Bohol, among others, went viral across Chinese social media platforms and in people's online social circles.

    Meanwhile, the number of Filipinos traveling to China has continued to rise, increasing by 48.9 percent in the first half of this year. So far this year, eight Philippine media delegations have visited China. Many participants have returned with a renewed understanding of the country and have actively shared their experiences and observations with the Filipino public. Posts by a group of Filipino social media influencers who recently visited Yunnan, for instance, have garnered nearly 70 million views.

    A recent Philippine public opinion poll also showed that favorable views of China among Filipinos have rebounded to their highest level in four years, with particularly strong support among younger generations compared with older ones.

    I believe that as more people travel between our two countries and exchanges become more frequent, falsehoods and misleading narratives that attack and malign China will naturally lose their credibility. There will be less room for sensationalism and discord to gain traction. This, precisely, is the value and enduring appeal of people-to-people exchanges between China and the Philippines.

    On law enforcement cooperation, China and the Philippines have worked closely in recent years to combat transnational crimes, including kidnapping, murder, telecom fraud, and human trafficking, helping ensure safer travel and exchanges between our two countries.

    In the first half of this year, kidnappings involving Chinese nationals fell by 59% compared with the same period last year. Since 2023, the two sides have jointly apprehended 102 major fugitives and repatriated a total of over 2500 suspects involved in illegal gambling and telecom fraud. This year alone, we have worked together to apprehend 10 major fugitives and repatriate 46 suspects, including six kidnapping suspects. We will continue to step up law enforcement cooperation and intensify efforts to combat crime, so as to ensure that every Chinese tourist and businessperson visiting the Philippines feels safe and secure. 

    At the same time, it is deeply concerning that some anti-China forces continue to push for selective and discriminatory law enforcement against Chinese companies and nationals, attacking and accusing China by any means. More recently, they have even targeted Chinese-language education, casually using labels like “national security” and “political infiltration.” This sends a chilling effect through the Chinese community in the Philippines. Such actions are malicious and reprehensible. We firmly oppose them and will take resolute measures to protect the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and nationals. 

    In the Philippines, people often talk about whether to be pro-American or pro-China. But I see it differently. You can be a friend of China and a friend of America at the same time. There’s no contradiction. This is not a zero-sum game. It should be a win-win for everyone.

    Just look at Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore. They all maintain good, stable relations with both China and the United States. So why can’t the Philippines do the same? The Philippines should put the Philippines first. That’s what matters. Every decision should serve the fundamental interests of the Filipino people.

    The Philippines can pursue a moderate and balanced foreign policy, maintaining good relations with both China and the United States and reaping substantial benefits from both bilateral relationships. It need not become an arena or a victim of strategic competition between major powers, nor is there any need to choose sides or place itself on the front lines of confrontation and conflict.

    China regards the Philippines as a close neighbor across the sea and a friend bound to us by deep historical and cultural ties. The friendly exchanges between our two peoples date back more than a thousand years. China has consistently upheld the principles of fostering friendship, ensuring security, and promoting shared prosperity with neighboring countries, as well as amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness. We are committed to building a community with a shared future, promoting open regionalism and genuine multilateralism, deepening all-round cooperation with our neighbors, expanding exchanges across various fields, and working together to safeguard regional peace and stability.

    In recent years, maritime disputes and frictions have seriously disrupted and damaged China-Philippines relations, causing both sides to miss a number of valuable opportunities for cooperation. The Philippine side should avoid allowing maritime disputes to dominate and define the overall trajectory of bilateral relations. Instead, It should seize the opportunities at hand and take concrete actions to translate them into tangible benefits for its own development. Where differences exist, the two sides should sit down and talk, and find effective ways to manage them. We must not allow a small group of people, backed by forces from outside the region, to steer bilateral relations into a dangerous and uncertain course, or even toward confrontation and conflict.

    As close neighbors, China and the Philippines should respect, learn from, support, and help each other. We’re ready to work together with people of insight from all sectors of Philippine society to promote more dialogue and exchanges, continuously deepen mutual understanding and trust, and find ways to amplify the positive narrative of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the Philippines and the benefits it brings to both peoples. We should do more to add positive momentum to bilateral relations, share more positive stories, and generate more good news. By allowing facts and constructive engagement to prevail over prejudice and hostility, we can find a way out of the current difficulties facing China-Philippines relations.

    In closing, I wish the Second Diliman Dialogue every success. I look forward to hearing your valuable insights and policy recommendations on how to bring China-Philippines relations back on track at an early date and advance the building of a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

    Thank you.