Philippines seeks China reset as sea clashes overshadow ASEAN talks

South China SeaIncidents in South China Sea fuel tensions as U.S., Australia criticize BeijingPhilippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., second from right, meets with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan, second from left, at the Malacanang Presidential Palace in Manila on July 21. © Getty ImagesMAI NGUYEN and RAMON ROYANDOYANJuly 24, 2026 14:30 JSTMANILA -- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced that he wants to reset his country's increasingly strained relationship with China, as a series of confrontations in the contested South China Sea this week cast a pall over the ASEAN foreign ministers meetings in Manila.