Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said maritime disputes should be settled through dialogue and warned against “bloc confrontations” just hours before the kickoff of major military exercises by the U.S., Japan, and South Korea in the Philippines.

The comments also come days before U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Fransisco. The two leaders are likely to announce the resumption of military-to-military communications between their countries, multiple sources told Axios.