China ready to work with PH through dialogue over WPS

BEIJING — China is ready to work with the Philippines through dialogue, China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

The recent development in the South China Sea is the fault of the Philippines but relations between the two countries are not all about disputes, the ministry said in response to the Philippine President's comment on bilateral ties.

Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular news briefing on Tuesday that China is willing to properly manage differences through dialogue and consultation.

"We will not close the door to dialogue and contact with the Philippines," he said when asked about Marcos' comments.

In addition to the Philippines, ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims with China in parts of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.

The Philippines includes areas of the South China Sea that falls within its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as part of the West Philippine Sea.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China's claims had no legal basis, a ruling the United States supports but Beijing rejects.

There was no immediate comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said a "paradigm shift" was needed on how the Philippines approaches the South China Sea issue, as diplomatic efforts with Beijing were headed "in a poor direction." — Reuters with GMA Integrated News