Xi tells Marcos stability on South China Sea issues key to good bilateral ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Philippines counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr at a meeting on Thursday that the strength of bilateral ties hinged on stable relations at sea, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Xi was referring to disputes over areas of the South China Sea that have plagued relations between Beijing and Manila.

CCTV said Xi also told Marcos on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok that the two countries need to stick to amicable negotiations to resolve differences over South China Sea issues.