MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to China next week will determine his foreign policy strategy, a security analyst said Friday.

"The visit will give our President the moment to think on what kind of foreign policy he would want to have for the Philippines," said Chester Cabalza, founding president of Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation.

"On whether or not he would continue with the implementation of neutrality policy or would gain the fruits of his alliance with the United States and like-minded nations," he continued.

During his first State of the Nation Address in July, Marcos said his administration "will stand firm in our independent foreign policy, with the national interest as our primordial guide."

"The Philippines shall continue to be a friend to all and an enemy to none," he said.

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Marcos' predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, had rocky relations with the US and pivoted towards China. He made five visits to the world's No. 2 economy during his term.

In a meeting in New York in September, Marcos told US President Joe Biden that he appreciated America's role in "maintaining the peace in our region".

According to Cabalza, dealing with China will be a tough balancing act given its economic might.

"It needs a lot of diplomatic skills and negotiations of what China wants for the Philippines and what Manila wants for Beijing," he said.

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Up to 14 bilateral agreements are expected to be signed during Marcos' January 3-5 visit.

The Philippines and China will establish direct communication between their foreign ministries to avoid "miscalculation and miscommunication" in the hotly disputed South China Sea.

Marcos has insisted he would not let China trample on the Philippines' maritime rights in the sea -- in contrast to Duterte, who was reluctant to criticize the superpower.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has ignored an international court ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims to parts of it.

Marcos will travel with First Lady Liza Marcos, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and several Cabinet secretaries.

— With a report from Agence France-Presse