PH, China resume consular consultation, says embassy

Department of Foreign Affairs.

MANILA, Philippines — Following a six-year hiatus, the Philippines and China held their ninth joint consular consultation (JCC) in Beijing on Monday, the Philippine Embassy in Beijing said in a statement.

Consular leaders from both countries discussed the safety, rights, and welfare of their citizens, as well as law enforcement cooperation, trade and investment, and tourism, the embassy added.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Maria Antonina Mendoza-Oblena and her Chinese counterpart Long Zhou said the centuries-long friendship between the Filipino and Chinese people “forms the bedrock” for the two countries’ bilateral ties.

This comes amid geopolitical tensions, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, which have tested the two countries’ relations for more than a decade.

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“Our relations have faced challenges, but we continue to cooperate in protecting our nationals and persist in aspiring for more people-to-people exchanges,” Mendoza-Oblena said, as quoted by the Philippine embassy in Beijing.

The JCC also touched on the Philippines and China’s law enforcement cooperation, particularly in dealing with transnational and other crimes like gambling.

Since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a total ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in 2024, both countries have been cooperating to crack down on illegal gambling operations, the embassy said.

“Law enforcement is one of the areas where bilateral cooperation can continue to flourish and where information-sharing on law enforcement can be further strengthened,” Mendoza-Oblena said. (Lau Bacia, INQUIRER.net trainee) /mr