ISTANBUL

In a sign of efforts to ease tensions between Manila and Beijing, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Wednesday said back-channel talks with China were underway.

“Yes, of course, there are,” Marcos told journalists when asked if there were meetings or back-channel efforts to resolve disputes in the South China Sea, which Manila identifies as the West Philippines Sea.

The government was “exhausting all remedies to bring progress in resolving the issues — to stop China’s aggressive actions and to allow Filipinos to fish” in the disputed waters, Marcos said.

Marcos was talking to reporters during his state visit to Brunei, according to an official statement from his office.

“I’ve said it many times. You should try everything. You don’t know what effort is going to be successful. So, as any point of contact that I can establish I will use it. And at every level, at the leaders’ level, at the ministerial, sub-ministerial, private,” Marcos said about China.

Manila and Beijing have witnessed bilateral relations spiral down due to tensions at the seas where the two maritime neighbors have overlapping claims over the disputed islets.

Vessels from the sides have confronted each other eliciting support for Manila from the US, which has expanded its military presence in the Philippines under defense agreements.

On the Chinese Coast Guard’s (CCG) new rules in the disputed waters, Marcos said: “The new policy of threatening to detain our own citizens, that is different. That is an escalation of the situation. So, yes, it is now very worrisome.”

However, Beijing Wednesday said the implementation of the new CCG regulations “aims to normalize the administrative law enforcement procedures” and to “better maintain maritime order,” state media reported.

“It is unnecessary for any individual or entity to worry about it if they do not engage in illegal activities,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.

Accusing Manila of escalating the situation in the South China Sea, Mao, however, said: “China remains open to dialogue and communication with the Philippines, but the key is that the dialogue must be sincere and the results of the dialogue must be implemented in practice, rather than merely talking about dialogue while continually provoking and causing trouble through actions.”