ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia

Joint Resource Exploration With China a ‘Possibility’ Before 2028, Philippine President Says

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that Manila and Beijing have made progress in energy talks, despite the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. takes part in a luncheon with foreign journalists in Manila, Philippines, Aug. 14, 2026.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says that joint offshore oil and gas exploration with China remains a “distinct possibility” before the end of his term in 2028, despite the recent intensification of their disputes in the South China Sea.

Speaking at a foreign media luncheon in Manila on Friday, Marcos said that Manila and Beijing were making progress in talks on the matter, and that the U.S.-Israel-Iran war had highlighted Manila’s need to shore up its energy security.

“The Philippines needs additional supplies of oil and gas, and we need to explore the possibilities that we have in the Philippines, in the West Philippine Sea, and wherever else we can [that] we can take advantage of,” he said, as per Rappler.

In March, Marcos told Bloomberg Television that the war in the Middle East and the resulting oil supply shock could provide an “impetus for both sides to come to an agreement” after years of friction in disputed waters. The interview aired on the same day that Marcos declared a “national energy emergency” due to the impacts of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which saw a sudden spike in fuel prices.

The two Asian countries then undertook “initial exchanges” on the topic during a meeting between diplomats in late March, which also involved discussions on how to manage disputes in the South China Sea.

“This discussion has gained prominence,” Marcos told reporters. “There were several issues from the beginning that we are slowly working through. And I can see the distinct possibility that there will be such joint explorations.”

Marcos did not mention when a deal could be reached, saying the discussions were still ongoing. “I think the sense that I get is that all parties involved want it to succeed, and that is always a very good sign,” he said.

Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte terminated oil and gas exploration talks with China in mid-2022, with then-Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin saying that discussions had gone as far as “it is constitutionally possible to go.”

Marcos and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to resume them during Marcos’ state visit to Beijing in early 2023, but have made very little progress due to the intensification of the disputes in the South China Sea. Since taking office, Marcos has openly challenged China’s........

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