Manila’s Softer Tone Unlikely to Ease South China Sea Tensions

The Philippine foreign ministry urged officials to avoid inflammatory remarks about China and called for a unified foreign policy.

The rare public rebuke came on Sunday as Manila sought to maintain stable ties with Beijing.

A Chinese South China Sea researcher said the softer tone is unlikely to ease tensions in the contested sea.

The ministry has little influence over maritime policy and enforcement operations, the researcher said.

Those policies and operations shape how the Philippines acts in the disputed waters.

The assessment suggests that a change in official language alone may not reduce tensions between Manila and Beijing.

No further steps or timeline were stated.