The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that it will host the 23rd Philippines-China Foreign Ministry Consultations (FMC) and the 7th Bilateral Consultations Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea to discuss ways to improve cooperation and reduce tensions, notably over argued waters.

"The discussions under the two mechanisms will cover a broad number of issues, including economic, people-to-people, maritime, security, and regional matters," the department said in a statement.

The review of bilateral ties will be held on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

"The back-to-back conduct of the FMC and BCM highlights the goodwill between the Philippines and China to dialogue and move forward on practical measures,” it added.