China and the Philippines should stay committed to properly tackling differences through friendly consultations and jointly uphold the overall China-Philippines relations and stability of the region, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong said on Thursday.

Sun made the remarks when meeting with Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Enrique A. Manalo in Manila on the sidelines of the 23rd China-Philippines Foreign Ministry Consultations (FMC) and the 7th Meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea.

Sun noted that China and the Philippines are close neighbors across the sea and ensuring sound and steady development of China-Philippines relations is a common aspiration of the two peoples and serves the shared interests of the two countries.

As the international and regional situation undergoes profound and complex changes, the two sides need to implement the important strategic consensus reached by the two leaders of the two countries, deepen political mutual trust, and focus on practical cooperation, Sun said.

Sun also called on the two sides to continue to put the South China Sea issue at a proper place in bilateral relations.

For his part, Manalo underscored that the Philippines regards China as an important partner and is happy about the outcomes of President Marcos Jr.'s visit to China in January. 

He expressed hope that the consultations will promote the implementation of more outcomes of the visit, adding that the South China Sea issue should not dominate China-Philippines relations. 

The Philippines stands ready to communicate and coordinate closely with China to properly manage disputes and sustain the sound momentum of growth in the bilateral ties, Manalo noted.