Philippine and Chinese officials held "candid" talks Friday in a bid to improve relations strained by a bitter territorial dispute in the South China Sea, official statements said.
A delegation led by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying met Philippine President Benigno Aquino and other senior officials for talks aimed at minimising tensions and bolstering trade and economic links.
"The two sides... had candid and in-depth discussions on the issues existing in their relations and agreed to... properly address differences so as to avoid negative impact," Fu said in a statement.
Tensions over competing claims to parts of the South China Sea escalated in April this year when ships from the two countries became locked in a standoff over a tiny group of islets called Scarborough Shoal.
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