Photo: CFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday and stressed China is willing to work with the Philippines and countries in the region to firmly uphold regional security in our own hands and jointly maintain hard-fought peace and stability. 

Analysts said that the conversation between the two leaders, which came on the last day of the   US-Philippine military drill, sends a positive signal that the bilateral relations were not disturbed by the US. 

President Xi said that in the past six years, the two countries have persisted in promoting good-neighborly friendship and cooperation, properly handling differences, working together for common development, and getting rid of interference in bilateral ties.

The handling of the South China Sea issue has provided an important foundation for China-Philippines friendly cooperation, benefited the two people and also effectively safeguarded regional peace and stability, Xi said.

Duterte said the Philippines is willing to properly deal with South China Sea issues with China to set an example on solving disputes peacefully and to safeguard regional peace. The Philippines is also willing to play an active role in promoting relations between ASEAN and China. 

The phone conversation sends a positive signal as Duterte wants to show China that it does not give up cooperation with China or go to the opposite side of China while developing relations with the US, Chen Xiangmiao, an assistant research fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times. 

Codenamed "Balikatan 2022," the annual joint military drills of the US and the Philippines ran from March 28 to Friday and included 3,800 Filipino and 5,100 US military personnel, making it the largest iteration of the Philippines-US joint drills since 2015, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The phone conversation also came ahead of presidential elections in the Philippines. China hopes the current good relations with the Philippines could be carried on, as in the past six years, Duterte has insisted on a pragmatic attitude to keep cooperation with China and properly deal with maritime disputes, which benefited the two sides, analysts said. 

The 2022 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections will be held on May 9. Some voices in the Philippines are advocating tough policies on the South China Sea issues. 

Chen noted that some groups in the Philippines also hatched conspiracy theories that China may take operations on reefs and islands in South China Sea amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Chinese leader's remarks showcased China's resolve to safeguard regional peace, which helps dismiss rumors. 

President Xi also noted that the current international situation has once again proven that regional security should not rely on military alliance. China is willing to work with the Philippines and regional countries to uphold shared, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security to firmly grasp regional security in our own hands and to safeguard the hard-fought stability. 

Chen noted that Xi's remarks underscored China's opposition to small cliques or confrontations of alliances as they are not beneficial to regional peace. The root cause of the current Ukraine crisis is confrontations between Russia and the US-led NATO, but the US is still ramping up efforts in drawing small cliques in the Asia-Pacific region to contain China. Many ASEAN countries, including the Philippines, may face more pressure from the US to pick sides. 

In the post-Duterte period, China-Philippine relations may encounter some small friction given the energy shortage, soaring oil prices, and some pro-US forces, but the Philippines will not allow itself to become a strategic pawn of the US, said Chen. 

The expert noted that ASEAN countries and China have consensus on solving maritime disputes through peaceful talks. Regional countries have kept a high alert of not choosing sides between China and the US to avoid becoming chess pieces of others.