Philippines open to discussing joint gas development with China

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the Philippines is open to exploring partnerships with China to develop gas resources in disputed areas of the South China Sea, as the government seeks to secure energy supplies amid the global oil crisis. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Mr. Marcos said Manila has long sought to separate territorial disputes from economic cooperation, noting that China remains a key trading partner and source of major investments. “We’ve always tried to differentiate the territorial disputes from our trade arrangements,” Marcos said, adding that Chinese support has extended to critical imports such as fertilizer. The…