SUBDICIPLINE

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

China–Philippines relations
Relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the People's Republic of China have
gradually improved over the years since the initiative of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos
to support communism in mainland China while battling a communist insurgency in the
Philippines. China withdrew support for Filipino communists due to this. However, relations
between the two countries have suffered due to the worsening South China Sea dispute. The
current president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, aims at remedying relations between the
Philippines and China at the expense of the former's relationship with the United States, the
Philippines' national territorial integrity as seen when the Philippine foreign minister paved way
for China's expansionism, and a stronger ASEAN voice, leaving Vietnam at the forefront.
Several major bilateral agreements were signed between the two countries over the years, such
as: Joint Trade Agreement (1975); Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement (1978);
Postal Agreement (1978); Air Services Agreement (1979); Visiting Forces Agreement (1999);
Cultural Agreement (1979); Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (1992);
Agreement on Agricultural Cooperation (1999); Tax Agreement (1999); and Treaty on Mutual
Judicial Assistance on Criminal Matters (2000). In May 2000, on the eve of the 25th anniversary
of their diplomatic relations, the two countries signed a Joint Statement defining the framework
of bilateral relations in the 21st century. Bilateral relations between the Philippines and China
have significantly progressed in recent years. The growing bilateral relations were highlighted by
the state visit to China of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 29–31 October 2001.
During the visit, President Arroyo held bilateral talks with top Chinese leaders, namely President
Jiang Zemin, NPC Chairman Li Peng, and Premier Zhu Rongji. President Arroyo also attended
the 9th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting held in Shanghai on October 20–21, 2001, where she
also had bilateral talks with President Jiang. During President Arroyo's visit, eight important
bilateral agreements were signed.
A 2014 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center showed 93% of Filipinos were
concerned that territorial disputes between China and neighbouring countries could lead to a
military conflict.
Recently, Philippines has been rapidly improving relations and cooperating with China on
various issues, developing a much stronger and stable ties with the country, as well as a
successful Code of conduct with China and the rest of ASEAN. However, the average trust view
of Filipinos towards China is negative 33, dipping much lower in certain provinces such as
Zambales and Palawan where it is at least negative 45.

Political relations
Prior to the 1970s, the Philippines government maintained a close relationship with the
Kuomintang-ruled Taiwan (Republic of China), and saw China (People's Republic of China) as a
security threat. It began considering normalizing relations with China at the start of the 1970s;
the two countries established diplomatic relations on 9 June 1975 with the signing of the Joint
Communiqué by leaders of the two countries. Over the 34 years, China–Philippines relations in
general have attained a smooth development, and also remarkable achievements in all areas of
bilateral cooperation. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, there has been frequent
exchange of high-level visits between China and the Philippines. Philippine Presidents Marcos
(June 1975), Corazon Aquino (April 1988), Ramos (April 1993), Estrada (May 2000), Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo (November 2001 and September 2004), and Benigno Aquino III (August–
September 2011) have visited China. Premier Li Peng (December 1990), Chairman of the
Standing Committee of the 8th National People's Congress Mr. Qiao Shi (August 1993),
President Jiang Zemin (November 1996), Premier Zhu Rongji (November 1999), Chairman of
the Standing Committee of the 9th National People's Congress Mr. Li Peng (September 2002),
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress Mr. Wu Bangguo
(August 2003), President Hu Jintao (April 2005) and Premier Wen Jiabao (January 2007) visited
the Philippines. During President Jiang Zemin's state visit to the Philippines in 1996, leaders of
the two countries agreed to establish a cooperative relationship based on good-neighborliness
and mutual trust towards the 21st century, and reached important consensus and understanding
of "Shelving disputes and going in for joint development" on the issue of South China Sea. In
2000, China and the Philippines signed the "Joint Statement Between China and the Philippines
on the Framework of Bilateral Cooperation in the Twenty-First Century", which confirmed that
the two sides will establish a long-term and stable relationship on the basis of good
neighborliness, cooperation, mutual trust and benefit. During President Hu Jintao's state visit to
the Philippines in 2005, both countries are determined to establish the strategic and cooperative
relations that aim at the peace and development. During Premier Wen Jiabao's official visit to
the Philippines in January 2007, both sides issued a joint statement, reaffirming the commitment
of taking further steps to deepen the strategic and cooperative relationship for peace and
development between the two countries.
In April 2007 President Arroyo attended the annual meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia. In June
2007 she visited Chengdu and Chongqing, and in October, she attended Shanghai Special
Olympics and made a side trip to Yantai, Shandong Province. In January 2008, Speaker of the
Philippine House of Representatives De Venecia visited China. In August, President Arroyo
attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games and made a side trip to
Chengdu. In October Arroyo attended the Asia-Europe Summit Meeting in China and made a
side trip to Wuhan and Hangzhou. Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives
Nograles went to Nanning for the 5th China-ASEAN Expo and paid a visit to Kunming and
Xiamen. Vice President De Castro attended the 9th China Western International Exposition in
Chengdu. In November De Castro attended the 4th World Cities Forum in Nanjing and visited
Anhui and Shanghai. In December, President Arroyo went to Hong Kong to attend the Clinton
Global Initiative Forum- Asia Meeting. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of
Foreign Affairs of the Philippines set up a consultation mechanism in 1991, and 15 rounds of
diplomatic consultations have been held since then. Apart from reciprocal establishment of
Embassies, China has a consulate general in Cebu, and established a consulate office in Laoag
in April 2007. The Philippines has consulates general in Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shanghai,
Chongqing, Chengdu and Hong Kong.

In February 19, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte told an audience of Chinese businessmen
that he intends to make the Philippines a 'province of China', sparking outrage nationwide.
Various rallies commenced afterwards against his administration, however, the rallies were
blocked by the police and the military. In May 15, 2018, Duterte said that he will not be ousted
from office as he has the backing of the People's Republic of China, as stated by Xi jinping
himself.

Military exchanges
In April 2002, Philippine Secretary of Defense Reyes visited to China. In June, Philippine naval
fleets visited China for the first time. In September, Chinese Vice Chairman of the Central
Military Commission, State Councilor and Defense Minister Chi Haotian visited the Philippines.
In 2004, Narciso Abaya, Chief of the General Staff of Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) and
Secretary of Defense Avelino Cruz paid visits to China respectively, and both sides established
the mechanism of annual Defense and Security Consultation. In May 2005, Xiong Guangkai,
Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) visited the
Philippines and held the first Defense and Security Consultation with Philippine Defense
Undersecretary Antonio Santos. In May 2006, Chief of the General Staff of AFP Gen. Denga
visited China. In October, Philippine vice Secretary of Defense Santos visited China and both
sides held the second round of Defense and Security Consultation. Also in October, North
China Sea Fleet visited the Philippines, conducting a joint non-traditional security exercises. In
May 2007, Zhang Qinsheng, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of PLA visited the Philippines
and both sides held the Defense and Security Consultation for the third time. Chinese Vice
Chairman of the Central Military Commission, State Councilor and Defense Minister Cao
Gangchuan, paid a visit to the Philippines in September.

Territorial disputes
The two countries have disputes over the sovereignty of some islands and shoals in the Spratly
Islands. After rounds of consultations, both sides agreed to strive for a solution through bilateral
friendly consultation. In October 2004, Chinese Maritime Safety Administration and Philippine
Coast Guard conducted a joint sand table rescue exercise for the first time. China National
Offshore Oil Corp. and Philippine National Oil Company signed the "Agreement for Joint Marine
Seismic Undertaking on Certain Areas in the South China Sea" in September 1, 2004. In May
2005, Vietnam agreed to join the Sino-Philippine cooperation. Oil companies from three
countries signed the "Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking on Certain Areas in the
South China Sea" in March, 2005.
Due to the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff, relations between the two countries have soured
greatly after China pursued to grab the Scarborough Shoal, which has been in Philippine
possession until the standoff. After a few weeks, a storm passed by the area and the
international community of nations urged both nations to ease tensions by withdrawing from the
site. Both nations agreed to withdraw, however, when the Philippines withdrew, China
immediately sent warships to counter any arrival from the Philippine side. The blatant defiance
to the truce met international outcry towards China. China afterwards began establishing
structures on the shoal. An American footage showed after a few months that the shoal may
possess Chinese ballistic missiles. After the 2013 Bohol Earthquake, China was criticized by
many international disaster risk reduction organization for failing to send aid to its neighbor,
which is considered an international ethic, regardless of foreign conflicts. A few days later,
China sent an "underwhelming" response to disaster relief in the Philippines. China sent their
Type 920 hospital ship and gave relief to assist the Philippines, though the move was extremely
small compared to other nations. The aid given by the small nation of Singapore was thrice
larger than China's aid.
In March 2017, Chinese ships were spotted in the Benham Plateau (also known as Benham
Rise), an internationally recognized territory of the Philippines. The Philippines, through its
ambassador to Beijing has officially asked China to explain the reported presence of one of its
vessels in Benham Rise in the Pacific. A week later, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
released a statement saying that China is honoring the Philippines' sovereign rights over
Benham Rise. A few days after, China revoked the statement stating that the Philippines has no
sovereignty and sovereign rights on the Benham Rise. It would later be acknowledged by the
Philippine government that China was conducting research on the Philippine Rise without going
through the Philippine government, sparking public outrage in the Philippines.
In January 2018, Filipino Congressman Gary Alejano revealed that Secretary Alan Peter
Cayetano of the Department of Foreign Affairs had approved the Chinese Institute of
Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to perform a scientific survey of the Rise, with
the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte's spokespreson, Harry Roque, later
confirmed Alejano's revelation, and said that Filipinos have no capability to research the Rise.
Massive backlash surged as numerous Filipino research proofs from university professors and
researchers were leaked. In February, Duterte's agriculture secretary told media that Duterte
has now ordered the halting of all foreign researches in the Philippines Rise, however, the
research being conducted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences was already finished before the
halt order.Afterwards, confirmed reports broke out, stating that the International Hydrographic
Organization (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the
UNESCO have rules wherein the entity that first discovers unnamed features underwater have
the right to name those features, prompting Filipino officials to realize that China was after, not
just research, but also the naming rights over the underwater features of the Philippine Rise
which will be internationally-recognized through UNESCO. A CSIS expert concluded that the
current Philippine government is 'well-intentioned but naive'. A few days after the research halt
ordered by Duterte, it was clarified by the Philippine government that all researches ongoing at
the time the halting was made were officially cancelled, but the government still fully allows
research activities in the Rise after the halting. Foreign researchers, including Chinese, May still
do research within the Rise if they apply for research activities through the Philippine
government. Due to this clarification, rallies surged in Philippine metropolitan streets. Duterte
later insisted, in a bid to disperse public anxiety that the Rise belongs to the Philippines.
February 12, 2018, the International Hydrographic Organization approved the names proposed
by China for five features in the Philippine Rise after China submitted to the organization its
research findings on the area. The names given by China were all in Chinese, namely, Jinghao
Seamount (some 70 nautical miles east of Cagayan), Tianbao Seamount (some 70 nautical
miles east of Cagayan), Haidonquing Seamount (east at 190 nautical miles), Cuiqiao Hill, and
Jujiu Seamount, the last two form the central peaks of the Philippine Rise undersea geological
province. The Chinese naming of the features met public protests in the Philippines, however,
the Philippine government itself chose to impose a bystander policy, enlarging public anxiety
towards the Duterte regime's buddy-buddy policy towards China.