Manila: In an effort to strengthen ties with the Philippines, which is hosting its largest-ever military exercises with the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was scheduled to arrive in Manila on Friday.

Following an initial meeting with his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo, Qin is scheduled to meet President Ferdinand Marcos on Saturday, according to Philippine officials.

The Philippines and the United States are currently conducting their largest joint military exercises, with close to 18,000 troops participating in live-fire and combat drills until April 28. Qin's visit falls during this time.

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After his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, trashed the alliance and turned to Beijing for business deals and infrastructure projects, Marcos has worked to fortify ties with Washington.

Despite competing territorial claims by China and the Philippines in the vital South China Sea, this was the case.

"Regional security issues of mutual concern" will be covered during the talks, according to a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Additionally on the agenda is enhancing collaboration in the areas of infrastructure, energy, trade, and agriculture.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, stated on Friday that Qin's visit is intended to "improve mutual trust" and "properly handle differences" with the Philippines.

Wang stated at a routine briefing that "China looks forward to enhancing communication with the Philippines through this visit."

Conflicting claims in the South China Sea have been a source of tension in the bilateral relationship.

Beijing has deployed hundreds of vessels there to patrol the waters and occupy reefs, claiming nearly the entire waterway.

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Additionally, it disregarded a 2016 decision by an international tribunal finding that its claims lack merit.

As foreign minister, Qin will be making his first trip to the Philippines.
The first foreign minister to visit Marcos in 2017 was Wang Yi, who noted that the election of Marcos in June marked the "turning of a new page" that would usher in a "new golden age of bilateral relations" between the two nations.

But Marcos has shifted his allegiance to the US since then.
The president of the Philippines will speak with US Vice President Joe Biden about efforts to fortify the long-standing ties between the treaty allies next month.

In recent months, Manila and Washington reached an agreement to resume joint maritime patrols in the South China Sea and to increase the presence of US forces in the nation.

In accordance with a 2014 agreement that originally named five sites, Marcos has also permitted the United States to rotate its troops around four additional sites.

A naval base and airport in northern provinces close to Taiwan, as well as an air base off an island near the South China Sea, are among the new bases.

Despite having one of the weakest militaries in Asia, the Philippines would be an important ally for the United States in the event of a conflict with China due to its proximity to Taiwan and the waters around it.

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The DFA stated that Qin's visit will also build upon Marcos' January visit to Beijing, during which time he and Chinese president Xi Jinping reached an understanding regarding the "friendly" resolution of disputes.

Manila charged a Chinese ship with using a military-grade laser light against a Philippine patrol boat weeks after Marcos' visit.
Since Marcos took office as president last year, the DFA claimed to have filed more than 70 protests against China's "persistent and illegal presence in Philippine water".