PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s recently concluded trip to China has caused people to expect that our simmering dispute in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) will be settled. It is thus in order that we strip the sugar-coating surrounding this trip and the so-called agreements it produced. In reality, there remain many pitfalls in our relations with China; the major obstacle in this regard is the Chinese leadership.

In an earlier article, this author emphasized that the ascension of President Xi Jinping to a third term as secretary-general of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was not auspicious for a settlement of the WPS dispute by negotiations and peaceful means. ("20th party congress — no change in China's SCS policy," Manila Times, Dec. 12, 2022). This obstacle remains, and it is questionable if the Marcos visit reduced the tensions in our part of the world. Some of the hurdles in our relations with China are spelled out below together with some possible courses of action in our conduct of diplomacy.

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