Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said he plans to invite Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Manila for talks aimed at easing tensions in the South China Sea, as the Philippines gears up to head the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year. Hosting the 11-member bloc gives Manila a rare chance to shape regional priorities, which Mr. Marcos said presents “opportunities” for the Philippines to push for a legally binding code of conduct (CoC) in the disputed waters. Five ASEAN members have overlapping maritime claims with China. “I would certainly invite him… to show how sincere we are to President Xi Jinping,” Mr. Marcos told reporters after the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. “We would like for him to come to the Philippines.”

Hufana, C. M. A. (2025, October 30). Marcos eyes Xi visit for talks on sea row. BusinessWorld, p. S1/12.