Although bilateral ties in general remain stable and strong, the spat over the Niu'e Reef and subsequent diplomatic etiquette should serve as a timely reminder of the importance of China and the Philippines properly handling their differences.

On Tuesday, one day after tweeting a rude demand that China remove its ships from the reef, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin apologized for his remarks to Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Since late March, high-ranking Philippine officials, Locsin included, have made quite a fuss over the Chinese fishing boats sheltering at the reef from bad weather despite the fact that it is part of China's Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.

Apart from the spat over the boats at Niu'e Reef, the Philippines has also showed its intention to revive an old maritime skirmish with China by conducting military exercises in the waters around China's Huangyan Island just prior to Locsin's disrespectful remarks.

Given all this, it is good to see Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has more than once expressed his desire for healthy China-Philippines ties of late.

In what has been widely perceived as a veiled criticism of Locsin, Duterte said in a televised briefing on Monday night that "China remains our benefactor" and that "just because we have a conflict with China doesn't mean to say that we have to be rude and disrespectful."

Also on Monday, Duterte received his first dose of Sinopharm's vaccine against COVID-19, which can be seen as a highlight of China-Philippines vaccine cooperation and their joint resolve to fight the pandemic.

As such, although there is some dissonance from the Philippine side from time to time, the larger picture of China-Philippines friendship remains intact. It is natural for the two countries to have differences, but what is important is that both sides properly handle their differences and do not let them affect the overall direction of bilateral ties.

There is a pressing need for some members of Duterte's government to appreciate that the good momentum in China-Philippines ties has not been easily achieved; they should not squander it.

Under Duterte, the Philippines has chosen to play down the maritime disputes and develop reciprocal ties with China. This has been a major policy shift from his predecessor and has brought benefits to both sides and helped build peace and stability in the South China Sea.

At present, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are pressing ahead with consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. Obviously, the countries involved need to steer clear of distractions and obstacles so that they can work toward the early conclusion of the COC.

The priorities should be stability and development as these are of vital importance to the region as a whole.