MANILA — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla met with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to discuss practical measures to ease tensions between the Philippines and China.

In a Friday interview, Remulla said the discussion did not cover the dispute over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), focusing instead on initiatives such as cultural exchanges and strengthened law and order to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in the Philippines.

“Hindi namin pinag-usapan ‘yung Kalayaan. Mas pinag-usapan namin ‘yung how to de-escalate the tensions between the two countries. And a lot has to do with cultural exchanges,” Remulla said.

He reiterated the Philippine government’s stance on the KIG.

“It is the Philippines territorial waters. It is our sovereign right to occupy those islands. Plain and simple,” he said.

The Philippines and China have long been involved in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, with Beijing claiming nearly the entire area, including resource-rich features in what the Philippines calls the West Philippine Sea.

On July 12, 2016, the Arbitral Tribunal under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea invalidated China’s expansive claims under the nine-dash line, a ruling Beijing continues to reject.