Marcos: ‘Possible’ joint exploration with China before term ends

PH-CHINA TIES. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. summons Chinese ambassador Jing Quan over maritime incident at the Ayungin Shoal.

Malacañang

'And I can see the distinct possibility that there will be such joint explorations,' says President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

AT A GLANCE

• President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. indicated that joint oil and gas exploration between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea could commence before the end of his term in 2028.
• The Philippines is seeking additional oil and gas supplies amid rising prices due to geopolitical tensions, particularly from the Middle East, and has been negotiating with China on this matter.
• Marcos aims to reset relations with Beijing to reduce tensions over maritime disputes, particularly in the West Philippine Sea

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MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Friday, August 14, it was “possible” for joint oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea to begin between the Philippines and China before his term ends in 2028.

“Certainly. 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,” said Marcos in a luncheon with foreign correspondents in Manila.

The Philippines and China have long tried to negotiate joint oil and gas exploration. In March 2026, Marcos said the war in the Middle East and the effect it has had on oil supplies and prices could be the “impetus” for the Philippines to “come to an agreement” on joint energy exploration in the South China Sea.

The two Asian countries made “initial exchanges” on the topic during a meeting between diplomats in late March.

“This discussion has gained prominence. And where we are now, I think we have moved forward. 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. It is just in the terms of reference on what we are going to do — like any joint venture or if it is merely commercial…. That’s what we’re doing now,” Marcos added.

Parts of the West Philippine Sea, such as the Recto Bank, are believed to contain oil and energy deposits.

The Philippines is among the countries worst affected by the United States and Israel’s war on Iran and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for oil exports to Asia. Manila sources over 98% of its oil and petroleum from the Middle East,

In the weeks after the war was launched in late February, the Philippines scrambled to find alternative sources of energy.

Marcos has said he wants a “reset” of ties with Beijing after years of heightened tensions, primarily over clashes and disagreements in the West Philippine Sea, a portion of the South China Sea that includes the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The reset, he said, is meant to dial down tensions whenever they inevitably go up because of maritime issues.

“We try to bring the level of tensions…even sometimes the language that is being exchanged down a notch,” he said.

Tensions almost always flare up in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in flashpoints such as the Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) and Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. In late July, Philippine soldiers and the China Coast Guard (CCG) clashed after the latter approached the rusting BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded warship that serves as an outpost of the Philippines.

Days later, the CCG used water cannons against their Philippine counterparts in Bajo de Masinloc.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea and rejects the landmark 2016 Arbitral Award, which affirmed the Philippines’ entitlements and rights within its own EEZ. – Rappler.com