China’s FM holds talks in Philippines amid strained ties

China’s foreign minister said Saturday his country is willing to work with the Philippines to resolve their differences, as tensions rise over Beijing’s behavior in the disputed South China Sea and Manila’s deeping military cooperation with the U.S.

Foreign Minister Qin Gang held talks in Manila with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, and was scheduled to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. just days before he travels to Washington for a meeting with President Joe Biden.

China has warned that a deepening security alliance between the United States and the Philippines should not harm its security and territorial interests and interfere in long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Beijing has criticized a recent agreement by the Philippines and the U.S. to grant U.S. forces access to additional local military camps.

The deal allows American forces to establish military staging grounds and surveillance outposts in the northern Philippines across the sea from