Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. concludes his three-day official visit to China on Thursday (Jan. 5, 2023).

At the end of the trip, the two governments issued a 28-point joint statement, plus 14 cooperation documents. On the crucial South China Sea dispute, however, Beijing again appears to be fooling Manila by failing to make any substantive commitments to resolve the dispute.

In a speech before departure, Marcos said, "As I head to Beijing, I hope to open a new chapter of comprehensive and strategic cooperation with China," and "look forward to meeting President Xi as we work to bring our The shifting of the relationship track to a higher gear promises countless prospects and vast opportunities for peace and development for our two peoples."

However, a 28-point joint statement issued by the two governments on Thursday showed that Beijing continued to make empty promises to Manila when it came to dealing with the disputes in the South China Sea, saying that the two sides "agreed to implement the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" and the "United Nations Charter". and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to resolve disputes peacefully."

An international tribunal based in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ruled against China in 2016 in a lawsuit brought by the Philippines, but Beijing has consistently rejected the legally binding ruling. The ruling rejected China's claim to almost the entire South China Sea.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and other countries also claim part of the South China Sea.

The Sino-Philippines joint statement signed on Thursday also stated that the two sides agreed to keep in mind the memorandum of understanding on oil and gas development cooperation in the South China Sea signed in 2018 and resume offshore oil and gas development consultations as soon as possible. However, Beijing ignored the ruling of the International Court of Justice and insisted on advancing its sovereignty claims in the relevant waters, which led to Marcos’ predecessor, President Rodrigo Duterte, deciding in June last year to suspend negotiations with Beijing on joint oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea. During Marcos Jr.'s visit, Beijing appeared to show no intention of changing that.

The joint statement also stated that “the two sides are willing to actively consider the establishment of a rocket launch information reporting mechanism and cooperate in the recovery and return of rocket wreckage.” However, Beijing does not appear to have committed to informing the Philippines in advance that Chinese rocket launch wreckage may fall into Philippine waters.

In November last year, the Philippine Navy found and sent ships to tow away what appeared to be the wreckage of a Chinese rocket near Pagasa Island in the South China Sea where it was stationed. snatch away.

However, the Sino-Philippines joint statement stated that the two sides have decided to establish a direct communication mechanism between the Department of Border and Ocean Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Ocean Affairs of the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying that this will help enhance mutual trust.

Chinese officials have always accused the United States and the West of exaggerating the differences between China and the Philippines on the South China Sea issue and trying to use this issue to sow discord between China and the Philippines.

Some commented that inviting Marcos Jr. to visit China at the beginning of the new year is a key move in Beijing's attempt to prevent Manila from moving closer to Washington.

The U.S. has repeatedly said it will defend the Philippines if Philippine armed forces, ships, and aircraft are attacked in disputed areas of the South China Sea under the U.S.-Philippines mutual defense treaty.