MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and China expressed concern on transnational and other crimes, including illegal gambling, and vowed to continue ongoing cooperation to address the issue, the Philippine Embassy in Beijing said.
“The Philippines and China held the 9th Joint Consular Consultation in Beijing on 22 July 2025 to discuss the safety, rights, and welfare of their respective nationals, as well as law enforcement cooperation, trade and investment, and tourism,” the Philippine Embassy said in news release.
The two sides also stressed ongoing cooperation between the two countries in addressing transnational and other crimes, including illegal gambling.
“Our relations have faced challenges, but we continue to cooperate in protecting our nationals and persist in aspiring for more people-to-people exchanges,” said Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Maria Antonina Mendoza-Oblena.
“Law enforcement is one of the areas where bilateral cooperation can continue to flourish and where information-sharing on law enforcement can be further strengthened,” she added.
The Philippine Embassy also mentioned the two sides agreed on the importance of engagement through this bilateral mechanism in order to achieve improvements in managing consular cases which facilitate people-to-people relationships.
In 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., announced the banning of Philippine Offshore Gaming Corporations or POGO operations.
According to Executive Order No. 74, the immediate banning of offshore and internet gaming in the country aims to “safeguard national security, maintain public order, uphold the rule of law, protect the safety of its citizens, and ensure the integrity of the social fabric of the nation.”
Congressional hearings on POGO operations, which hire mostly foreign nationals, reveal links on alleged killings, human trafficking, cyber scams, tortures and harassment, according to testimonies of witnesses.
Since then, both countries have been cooperating to crack down on illegal gambling operations, the Embassy said.
Mendoza-Oblena and Chinese Foreign Ministry Director-General for Consular Affairs Long Zhou, also acknowledged that centuries of friendship between the Filipino and Chinese peoples form the bedrock of bilateral relations.
