BEIJING – China’s President Xi Jinping told former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to continue to promote cooperation between Manila and Beijing, after bilateral relations cooled with Mr Duterte’s successor seeking closer ties with Washington.

Mr Ferdinand Marcos Jr was elected as president for a six-year term in 2022, taking over from Mr Duterte, who had adopted a more pro-China stance.

“I hope you will continue to play an important role in the friendly cooperation (between China and the Philippines),” state media cited Mr Xi as saying during a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Monday.

Under Mr Marcos, relations between China and the Philippines have grown tense, with Manila pivoting back to its traditional ally, the United States.

The Philippines and the US reaffirmed a decades-old security alliance during a trip by Mr Marcos to the US in May, where he met with President Joe Biden, who said the US commitment to defending its ally was “ironclad”.

Washington has pledged to defend the Philippines, which allowed the US access to four additional military bases in 2023, angering Beijing.

Mr Marcos also said granting US access to the bases was a defensive step that would be “useful” if China attacked democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

China has always insisted on being friendly with its neighbours, which it sees as its partners, Mr Xi said, without commenting on the state of current bilateral ties.

“During your tenure as president of the Philippines, you had resolutely made the strategic choice to improve relations with China in an attitude of being responsible to the people and to history,” Mr Xi told Mr Duterte.

In June, Mr Duterte told reporters the Philippines could become a “graveyard” if it gets caught up in US-China tensions. REUTERS