People enjoy the sunset in Manila Bay along the baywalk in Manila, the Philippines on Aug. 31, 2020. (Xinhua）

  
China is willing to work with the new Philippine government to promote negotiation on joint maritime oil and gas exploration and to make concrete progress to benefit the people of the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday in response to news that the Philippines has terminated talks on the joint exploration. 

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the termination of the joint oil exploration discussions between the Philippines and China, outgoing Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr said on Thursday, according to Philippine media. 

China and the Philippines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation on Oil and Gas Development and agreed to discuss maritime cooperation including maritime oil and gas exploration, sustainable use of mineral, energy and other marine resources in 2018, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Wang told the press conference on Friday that the joint exploration on oil and gas of China and the Philippines is a right and mutual-beneficial path to settle maritime disputes on the premise of not affecting each other's maritime stance.

The leaders of the two countries reached such a significant consensus and the two governments signed the MOU to negotiate under the mechanism, which has made important progress, Wang said. 
 
China is willing to work with the new Philippine government to push forward the negotiation on joint exploration and to work to make concrete progress in order to benefit the peoples of the two countries, Wang said. 

The inauguration of Philippine president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr is scheduled to take place at around noon (PHT) on June 30 at the National Museum of Fine Arts. 

Global Times