Designated by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as a special envoy, Ramos arrived in Hong Kong on Monday evening to start his visit to China after the South China Sea arbitration case has frozen the two countries' ties.
"My job is to look for some old friends who have links to high officials in Beijing. My job is not to negotiate, but to help pave the way, break the ice and rekindle the friendship that we had during my time with China," Ramos told a press conference here.
"We are here on a mission of goodwill and are not involved in any negotiations or official transactions," he said.
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