CHINESE Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a telephone conversation with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Dec. 20, 2023, said that the China-Philippines relationship stood at a crossroads. The Philippines must act with caution, he said.

Manalo said that the two had 'a frank and candid exchange' and ended their call with 'a clearer understanding of our respective positions on a number of issues.' The telephone conversation was held following the meeting of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. with China's President Xi Jinping at the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Summit in San Francisco last November.