The foreign ministers of the Philippines and China will sign an agreement during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s state visit to China next week to open direct communication lines and avoid tensions in Philippine-claimed areas in the South China Sea, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The agreement, which will be signed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Jose Enrique A. Manalo and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, would establish “direct communication” between their ministries at various levels, DFA Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Nathaniel G. Imperial told a news briefing. He said the accord aims “to avoid miscalculation and miscommunication in the West Philippine Sea (WPS),” the part of the South China Sea that is legally owned by the Philippines.

Atienza, K. A. T. (2022, December 30). PHL, China foreign ministries to sign accord for ‘direct communication’ on sea incidents. BusinessWorld, p. S1/10.