Diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Philippines were established in June 1975. Relations became closer during the Philippine presidencies of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Rodrigo Duterte. However, they became more strained due to territorial disputes in the South China Sea, particularly following the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff, after which China established de facto control over the shoal and the July 2016 arbitral tribunal found that China had violated the traditional fishing rights of Philippine fishermen. In 2013, the Philippine government under President Benigno Aquino III filed an arbitration case concerning China's maritime claims in the South China Sea.

Under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the Philippines has strengthened its security cooperation with the United States while maintaining diplomatic and economic engagement with China; he has likewise stated that his administration does not pursue a policy of distancing itself from China. China has sought to increase its influence in the Philippines and the wider region, while the United States and China remain engaged in broader strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific.

The Duterte administration emphasized diplomatic alignment with China and engaged in regional talks over a South China Sea Code of Conduct. A strategy that faced domestic and international backlash over its concessions to Beijing. China is the Philippines' top trading partner. According to a survey conducted in late 2023, the country that Filipinos distrusted the most was China. The Philippines also had the highest threat perception of China according to a survey released by the Pew Research Center in July 2026, by at least 76%. Relations strained during the presidency of Bongbong Marcos due to increasing tensions over the South China sea dispute, resulting in the Philippines' withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative in 2023 and allegations of election interference in 2025.

Pre-colonial political relations

The earliest Chinese artifact uncovered in the Philippines appears to be from the Tang dynasty. After that, no other ceramics have been uncovered earlier than the 9th century based on available evidence. Imperial China acknowledged the existence of several Precolonial Philippine settlements and the Chinese Emperor received embassies from Filipino Datus, Rajahs, and Sultans. Note that the usage of "king" and "kingdoms" here are loose translations based on how centralized cultures understood the social organizations of Filipinos before the late 16th century, the consensus of anthropologists and historians is that pre-historic to 16th century Filipino social structure are classified as "chiefdoms" (see datu).

Relations between Song China and the Rajahnate of Butuan (11th century) The first recorded precolonial Philippine tribute mission to China was from Butuan in 1001 A.D. according to the Sung Shih. Since 1003 A.D., King Kiling of Butuan began sending diplomatic missions to China. By 1011 A.D., Rajah Sri Bata Shajah, sent an envoy, Likan Shieh, to the Chinese imperial court and demanded equal diplomatic status. China agreed and its relations opened direct commercial links to Butuan, which broke its reliance from the Chinese trade monopoly held by Tondo and Champa.

Relations with China under the Yongle Emperor (1402–1424) The Kingdom of Kumalarang (Gumalalang, 古麻剌朗) and the Pre-sultanate kingdoms of Sulu, precolonial Philippine kingdoms, has been noted to have significant political relations with China during the Ming dynasty.

According to the The Dynastic history of Ming (Ming shi) records, in 1417, a Ming eunuch arrived in Kumalarang with an imperial edict, bringing fine silk and urged the local ruler to pledge loyalty to the Yongle Emperor. By 1420, the ruler of Kumalarang, Ganlayi Yibendun (幹剌義亦奔敦), visited the Ming court with his wife and subjects, presenting local goods as a sign of submission. The Ming court elevated his status, and during a meeting, he expressed his desire for formal acknowledgment from the emperor. The emperor granted his request and providing him with the necessary honors and symbols of authority. Ganlayi Yibendun left the Ming capital in early 1421 but died at a seaport in Fuzhou failing to return to his kingdom.

Also in 1417, three pre-sultanate Sulu rulers organized a large mission, involving over 340 people, to establish their power and relationships. China initially viewed them as temporarily in charge but later recognized them as equals, granting the three rulers title of "king" (guowang, 國王), and gave them various gifts and official items. According to the Ming Annals:

The delegation stayed in the Ming capital for twenty-seven days before departing, but soon after, Paduka Pahala (Baduge Badala, 巴都葛叭答剌), the Eastern King of Sulu, died during the journey home in 1417.

Reflecting on the deaths of Paduka Pahala in 1417, Ganlayi Yibendun in 1421, and the ruler of Boni in 1405, Luo Yuejiong, a Ming author wrote:

In the Luzon region, numerous states or kingdoms responded to the invitation of the Yongle Emperor to send tribute missions. Rulers from Pangasinan, for instance, appeared in the Chinese court numerous times such as Chieftain Kamayin in 1406, as well as Chieftains Taymey and Liyü in 1408 and 1409. In 1411, the emperor offered the Pangasinan party to a state banquet.

Colonial and contemporary political relations

Spanish colonial period During the Spanish colonial period, several notable armed confrontations occurred between the authorities and overseas Chinese in the Philippines such as the 1603 Sangley Rebellion and the 1639 Sangley Rebellion.

American occupation (1899 – 1946)

During the Philippine-American War, Chinese nationalist figures such as Sun Yat-sen expressed support for the Philippine revolutionaries under Emilio Aguinaldo. In 1899, Sun arranged for Japanese arms to be shipped to the Philippines covertly.

Between 1921 and 1934, relations between China and the Philippines were marked by cooperation. In 1927, Philippine Senate President Manuel L. Quezon urged the Filipinos to distance themselves from Chinese nationalists due to concerns about the Philippines' relationship with the United States. He believed that having links with China would hinder the Philippines' independence campaign. By the 1930s, there were debates in the US government on granting the Philippines its independence. Newton W. Gilbert, who formerly served as the Philippine Vice Governor-General, sent a letter to the US Senate stating the importance of keeping the Philippines while also noting the consequences of a possible Chinese invasion.

Following Philippine independence in 1946, the Philippines established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC), then the internationally recognized government of China.

Cold War

The Philippines and the ROC signed the Sino-Philippine Treaty of Amity in 1947, establishing formal relations and provisions for peaceful and friendly relations between the two governments. During the Cold War, the two countries were part of the anti-communist camp that view the Chinese Communists as a security threat. During the Korean War, the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea under the United Nations Command fought the PRC's People's Volunteer Army in multiple battles.

Establishment of official diplomatic relations It began considering normalizing relations with the People's Republic at the start of the 1970s and the Philippines recognized the PRC on 9 June 1975, with the signing of the Joint Communiqué by leaders of the two countries.

Major agreements In 2009, the Philippines and China signed the Joint Action Plan for Strategic Cooperation, a five-year agreement outlining increased cooperation in various areas.

In 2016, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese leader Xi Jinping created the biannual Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, a mechanism for bilateral dialogue on disputes in the South China Sea and other issues of concern.

On 16 November 2017, the Philippines and China signed fourteen deals on a variety of issues, including transportation and military aid, worth approximately US$21.6 million.

In July 2019, UN ambassadors of 37 countries, including Philippines, signed a joint letter to the United Nations Human Rights Council defending China's policies of persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The Philippines was one of 16 countries that defended China's policies in Xinjiang in 2019 but did not do so in 2020.

Belt and Road Initiative During the respective visits of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping's visit to the Philippines, the two agreed to increase China's Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the Philippines from the People's Republic of China as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. However, concerns were soon raised over the terms and conditions of the ODA funding and the lack of transparency into the details. As of 2018, the delivery of that aid had also stalled, with few firm commitments put in place by the Xi administration. The Duterte administration nevertheless continued to make the relationship a major part of its economic agenda. During the Duterte administration, several infrastructure projects were pursued with Chinese financing or in connection with the Belt and Road Initiative, including the Subic–Clark Railway, Mindanao Railway, and PNR South Long Haul projects. However, financing for these three railway projects encountered delays; in 2022, the Philippine government withdrew the loan applications after the Chinese government had not acted on the funding requests. In January 2023, during the Marcos administration, the Philippines and China nevertheless signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, alongside other bilateral agreements concerning infrastructure and development cooperation. Later that year, the Philippines dropped China as a financing partner for the three railway projects, with the Department of Transportation stating that alternative sources of financing would be explored.

During the Marcos Jr. administration in 2023, the Philippines withdrew from the Belt and Road initiative.

Trade and commerce

Middle Imperial China and Precolonial Philippine States

Since Song dynasty times in China and precolonial times in the Philippines, evidence of trade contact can already be observed in the Chinese ceramics found in archaeological sites, like in Santa Ana, Manila. Based from Chinese historical records, traders from Mayi (possibly located in northern Mindoro) began visiting Canton in 971 A.D. during the Northern Song dynasty. They returned in 982 A.D., catching the interest of Chinese officials. In the early 11th century, traders from Puduan (Butuan) and Sanmalan (Zamboanga) arrived as tribute payers, trading with the Song court in 1004, 1007, and 1011 A.D., bringing back items like Chinese ceramics.

Yuan dynasty sources expressed how valuable the pearls produced in Sulu, with the Chinese wearing them as jewelries.

Late Imperial China and Spanish Philippines