At the TidesAndVoices themed salon, Zhou Jian, former Representative for Boundary and Ocean Affairs of China's MFA, said Manila's recent Shangri-La Dialogue remarks were absurd and baseless. He said the DOC and ongoing COC consultations are vital to managing differences, and dialogue is the right way to peacefully settle disputes. The Philippines' unilateral "arbitration" openly violated that consensus and has caused lasting harm.