Marcos tells Chinese Pres. Xi: Filipinos should fish freely in West PH Sea

File photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during bilateral meeting in Bangkok, Thailand in November last year. (Screen grab from RTVM)

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos on Saturday told Chinese President Xi Jinping his concern over Beijing’s growing aggression in West Philippines Sea.

One of these hostile actions resulted in a collision between a Chinese vessel and a Philippine resupply boat.

Marcos told Xi that Filipino fishermen should freely fish in West Philippine Sea.

The Filipino fishermen must be able to do this unharmed, he also told the Chinese leader.

“I simply once again voiced to him my concern on some of the incidents that were happening between Chinese vessels and Philippine vessels, culminating in an actual collision, as we have seen before,” he said in a press briefing afterwards.

Marcos said he and Xi discussed ways to ease the dispute in South China Sea.

“Essentially, we tried to come up with mechanisms to lower the tensions in South China Sea,” he told the media.

The two leaders met at the sidelines of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco, California.

President Marcos talks with members of the media who are joining his trip in San Francisco, California. (Photo dated November 18, 2023 from NESTOR CORRALES /Philippine Daily Inquirer)

“I always bring up the plight of our fishermen, and I asked that we go back to the situation where both Chinese and Filipino fishermen were fishing together in these waters,” the Chief Executive said.

“And so, I think, the point was well taken by President Xi,” Marcos said about his observation of the Chinese leader.

“But nonetheless, the problems remain and it is something that we will need to continue to communicate to find ways to avoid such incidents,” he added.