China and the Philippines resumed talks on January 29 after more than a year of silence. The two countries discussed their issues frankly and in-depth. Both sides agreed to keep communicating through diplomatic channels, the Chinese foreign ministry said. Last month, China’s ambassador to the Philippines, Jing Quan, revealed that the two nations had reached a "preliminary consensus on a road map" for handling South China Sea tensions. Ambassador Jing Quan, once the second-in-command at the Chinese embassy in Washington, emphasized the importance of talks. He said, "Any conflict would inevitably harm the long-term relationship between our two neighbouring countries. So, the best option is to sit down for talks and solutions in a diplomatic way." Meanwhile, the Philippine president refused to declare the Chinese ambassador persona non grata despite rising frictions in the South China Sea. This move shows both countries want to stabilize their relationship through dialogue and diplomacy.