Beijing and Manila Talk as Chinese Ship Count Falls
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Philippine counterpart, Theresa Lazaro, in a phone call on Nov. 3 that a “small number of politicians” in the Philippines were “crossing China’s red lines,” according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement cited by CNA. Lazaro called the talks “frank and constructive.” Anadolu, citing Xinhua, reported that both sides agreed to manage differences “responsibly.”
Also on Nov. 3, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it monitored 80 Chinese navy and coast guard vessels at four West Philippine Sea features in October, down from 101 in September, GMA News reported. Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) had the most, at 41.
In the East China Sea, Japan’s coast guard confirmed four cannon-armed China Coast Guard ships in the Senkaku contiguous zone on Nov. 3, the tenth day in a row, Kyodo reported via Nikkei. Patrol ships warned them not to approach territorial waters.
A diplomatic call and a lower ship count do not by themselves show that tensions are easing.