Marcos said on Friday that talks with China on joint oil and gas exploration have moved forward, with a deal sought before he leaves office in mid-2028, even as Beijing vows continued law-enforcement operations in waters near Ren'ai Jiao.
The Philippines and China claim overlapping waters in the South China Sea, where Chinese law-enforcement operations around features such as Ren'ai Jiao meet Philippine objections. Alongside that standoff, the two governments have pursued a deal on joint oil and gas exploration in the contested area, a track President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr wants concluded within his term.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said on Friday that talks with China on joint oil and gas exploration had moved forward, signalling hopes of a deal before he leaves office in mid-2028. China's defence ministry said it would continue rights-protection and law-enforcement operations in waters adjacent to Ren'ai Jiao, and Beijing rejected the Philippine defence chief's accusation of extortion.