Wang Yi presses China’s stance in Manila talks with Philippine and U. S. counterparts amid South China Sea tensions
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro in Manila. 22nd July 2026 – (Manila) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa. . .
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro in Manila. 22nd July 2026 – (Manila) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro in Manila on Wednesday, using the talks on the margins of the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting to lodge a protest over what Beijing described as aggressive actions by Philippine personnel at Second Thomas Shoal. Wang warned that relations had faced sustained headwinds in recent years, arguing this ran counter to both countries’ interests and harmed the Philippines’ own development. He cautioned against external interference and attempts to inflame maritime disputes, saying such moves would leave Manila exploited by others and urging it to make a “rational” choice at a crossroads in ties. Wang stressed that China has never posed a security threat to the Philippines and has neither invaded nor colonised the country. Acknowledging that territorial and maritime delimitation disputes exist, he said Beijing remains committed to managing differences through bilateral dialogue to stabilise the situation. He criticised Manila for, in his view, abandoning bilateral channels in favour of backing from outside powers and promoting an “illegal and invalid” arbitral decision, which China has rejected from the outset. He called on the Philippines to cease provocations over maritime issues, honour commitments made to Beijing and take concrete steps to steady relations. Lazaro said the two neighbours share deep historical ties and reiterated Manila’s adherence to the one‑China policy, adding that the Philippines sought solutions through dialogue to improve relations. Separately in Manila, Wang held talks with U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, setting out Beijing’s position in response to what he called a series of recent negative US statements and actions. He urged Washington to respect China’s core interests, uphold the one‑China principle, manage differences responsibly and address China’s legitimate concerns so that this “year of opportunity” in bilateral ties produces tangible progress. Both sides discussed regional and international flashpoints and agreed to implement the consensus reached by their leaders, make use of political and diplomatic channels, and prepare for further high‑level exchanges to advance a constructive, strategically stable relationship. Rubio said after the meeting that the pair discussed arrangements for a visit to the United States by China’s leadership, as well as the situations involving Iran and the Taiwan Strait. He acknowledged disagreements but said managing them was part of their remit and noted scope for cooperation in certain areas. On recent frictions between China and the Philippines at Second Thomas Shoal, Rubio argued that escalation served no one’s interests and reaffirmed the US commitment to the U. S. ‑Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty. He also voiced concern about strains in China‑Japan relations, noting the closeness of US‑Japan ties and saying their cooperation would continue over the long term.