The Philippines and China will hold the next round of bilateral dialogues in Manila today in a bid to manage the dispute in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). The government is expected to raise concerns about China’s reclamation works in the contested territory during the second bilateral consultation mechanism (BCM) to be attended by representatives from both foreign ministries. “We are not being soft on China. There are ongoing bilateral talks as far as contentious South China Sea issues are concerned,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said during a Palace press briefing.

Kabiling, G. (2018, February 13). PH China hold critical talks on South China Sea today. Manila Bulletin, pp. 1, 6.