Philippine-China ties ‘lost in translation’? An inside look at recent South China Sea talks

In a rare look into the diplomatic exchanges between China and the Philippines, a member of Manila’s delegation at a recent round-table discussion with Beijing’s vice-foreign minister revealed the deep disagreements over maritime issues that continue to strain bilateral talks while also expressing hope for future cooperation.

Chester Cabalza, president of the International Development and Security Cooperation think tank and a member of the delegation, admitted the round-table discussion in Beijing on October 14 did not produce any agreements. He characterised the discussions as candid but challenging, with both countries standing firm on their territorial claims.

“Both delegations gave space to air their differences but [were] still in disagreement. In other words, the two countries are still lost in translation in leveraging their own sides of the coin,” Cabalza told This Week in Asia.

Cabalza was part of the 11-member-strong delegation from the Philippines, composed of retired ambassadors, generals, chief executive officers and scholars.

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The round-table discussion, organised annually by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations (PCFR), was classified as a Track II diplomacy dialogue, or conflict resolution efforts by non-state actors.