Metro Manila, Philippines – Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are expected to hold a bilateral meeting in Manila this week as tensions between the two countries escalate over the South China Sea.
ASEAN 2026 Philippines spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial confirmed Monday, July 20, that Lazaro will meet Wang on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related ministerial gatherings.
“I have knowledge that the secretary will have a meeting with the Foreign Minister of China,” Imperial said during a press briefing.
He declined to disclose the agenda, saying he did not want to preempt the discussions, but noted the meeting would cover both bilateral relations and broader regional developments.
“We believe that this engagement is very important because not only will it cover the bilateral relations between the Philippines and China, but it will also have something to do with the impact of what’s happening globally to the region, to ASEAN,” he said.
Imperial also confirmed that Wang will attend this year’s ASEAN ministerial meetings in Manila.
The bilateral meeting comes as Manila and Beijing face renewed tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
Earlier Monday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines accused China Coast Guard personnel of attacking a Philippine Navy sailor with a wooden baton during a confrontation near Ayungin Shoal, injuring the serviceman and damaging a navy rubber boat.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said any violence against Filipino personnel is “unacceptable” and would warrant “appropriate diplomatic action.”
The meeting also follows the Philippines’ diplomatic protest over a China Daily video generated using artificial intelligence that depicted Filipinos as monkeys, which Manila described as racist and offensive.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila has yet to publicly respond to the protest.
Imperial said the ASEAN-China Post-Ministerial Conference would provide an opportunity for both sides to discuss areas of mutual interest.
“That’s a very good venue not only for the Philippines but for ASEAN to discuss with China the mutual and common interests that they want to pursue,” he said.
He added that while bilateral disputes would be left to relevant countries, ASEAN meetings remain an important platform for dialogue and cooperation.
The ASEAN foreign ministers are also expected to discuss negotiations on the long-awaited Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, alongside regional issues including Myanmar, the conflict in the Middle East and the Thailand-Cambodia border situation.
More than 50 countries are participating in the ASEAN ministerial meetings, post-ministerial conferences and related gatherings in Manila from July 20 to 24. The Philippines is hosting the meetings as ASEAN chairman ahead of the bloc’s summit in November.
