President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. clarified that the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue was not discussed during his brief interaction with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea.
Speaking to reporters covering his trip, Marcos explained that their encounter was merely a short courtesy exchange, not a formal meeting.
“Masyado kayong deep. It’s just common courtesy. I make sure I talk to everyone as much as possible,” the President said.
He emphasized that neither side had requested an official dialogue, noting that APEC’s focus is economic cooperation, not political disputes.
“It was very quick lang. With President Xi Jinping, neither side asked for a meeting because ano ang paguusapan namin? This is not the place to talk about the West Philippine Sea,” Marcos said.
“This is APEC. It’s an economic meeting. We don’t really talk about such issues… Sa ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) pwede pa these political issues that’s why I always bring it up [there],” he added.
The President’s clarification came after speculations surfaced that he and Xi might have discussed the ongoing maritime tensions between the Philippines and China.
It can be recalled that during the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Marcos openly criticized China for its continued harassment of Filipino fishermen and its assertive actions in the West Philippine Sea.