SENATE Foreign Relations Committee chairman Erwin Tulfo on Monday described his meeting with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan as “productive: and said both sides agreed to prioritize continuous diplomatic talks over public exchanges on media and social platforms to advance bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs clarified that it is not opposed to transparency efforts in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), but stressed that diplomacy should remain central to managing maritime issues.
“They are very excited about the code of conduct being finalized between China and the ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei. Hopefully by December it will be completed and we will have a code of conduct in place,” he said.
Additionally, a memorandum of understanding between the Philippine Coast Guard and the Chinese Coast Guard is expected to return by the end of March to promote cooperation on patrols, search and rescue operations, and cleanup efforts instead of confrontations in the WPS.
The ambassador was accompanied by two embassy officials during the meeting, though embassy spokesmen were not present, and Senate resolutions were not part of the discussion.
Tulfo reported the outcome of the meeting to the Senate caucus, saying lawmakers expressed satisfaction but details remained confidential.
He indicated that further meetings between the embassy and other senators remain possible since the ambassador indicated openness to continued engagement, but discussions on whether senators should tone down public statements were not formally taken up.
On the other hand, the neophyte senator declined to elaborate on matters raised during the caucus regarding Senator Ronald dela Rosa.
Instead, he said the caucus focused on legislative priorities that Malacañang wants completed by June, including the institutionalization of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program, amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and reforms covering online gambling.
The proposed Independent People’s Commission is included among the long list of pending measures reviewed during the caucus.
In a press briefing, a senior government official said maritime issues do not define the entirety of the bilateral relationship, noting that both sides have strong incentives to advance cooperation in other areas while maintaining a consistent and firm position on maritime concerns.
“Maritime issues are not the sum total of the relationship. Therefore, there is a lot of incentive for us to try to push the other areas forward. At the same time, not conceding or not changing the consistency and the firmness with which we push our positions in the maritime space,” the official said.
The official said that while defense capabilities, messaging, and transparency are important, diplomacy remains central to supporting the country’s maritime goals.
“Both transparency, military capability, and diplomacy can coexist.
There is no issue there. The issue, if you will, is when transparency is conveyed as something that is the end rather than the means,” the official added.
