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MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and China will finally meet again officially in Manila 6 months after the row over Scarborough Shoal erupted in April.
A Philippine delegation headed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda F Basilio is set to hold talks with the Chinese delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying on October 19, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday, October 16.
Fu will also meet separately with Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario.
“Filipino and Chinese foreign ministry senior officials will meet in Manila on October 19 to review existing cooperation and chart future direction of Philippines-China diplomatic relations,” the statement noted.
The meeting, officially called the 18th Foreign Ministry Consultations (FMC) consultations between the Philippines and China, “is a regular bilateral mechanism meant to be a venue for the two countries to discuss bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual concern,” according to the DFA.
The FMC is likewise a forum for Manila and Beijing to “explore and deepen areas of cooperation in various fields, such as trade and investment, tourism, culture and education, defense and security, agriculture and fisheries, transportation and communication, and consular matters.”
The 17th FMC was held in Beijing last January 14, four months before the Philippines and China escalated their territorial dispute over Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
The last high-level meeting between representatives from both countries was when Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas met Chinese Vice President and leader-in waiting Xi Jinping in Nanning, China.
In addition, this will the first time that DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario meets with a Chinese official since Sen Antonio Trillanes IV revealed he was acting as backdoor negotiator with China, keeping Del Rosario out of the loop.
Trillanes’ revelation triggered a spat with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who chided the former rebel soldier for announcing clandestine backchannel efforts. – Rappler.com
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