A Chinese Coast Guard vessel is pictured near the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, in the disputed Spratly Islands, South China Sea, March 9, 2023. (Reuters)Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his foreign secretary met Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Saturday with Manila and Beijing pledging to work together to resolve their maritime differences in the South China Sea. Manila refers to the part of the South China Sea that it claims as the West Philippine Sea. Qin and his counterpart, Philippines' Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, discussed views on strategic and regional issues during bilateral talks that started earlier on Saturday. Marcos is set to meet U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington in May, days after more than 17,000 Philippine and U.S.

Source: The Standard April 23, 2023 15:59 UTC