20 January 2017

News Story: Chinese official reaffirms Phl-China ties with Rody

By Christina Mendez

MANILA, Philippines - Chinese Foreign Vice Minister Liu Zhenmin’s visit to President Duterte at Malacañang last Tuesday was merely to reaffirm bilateral commitments, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said yesterday.

Abella said the note verbale issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs against the presence of China’s weapons systems in the disputed South China Sea did not crop up during the visit of the top Chinese official.

“It’s simply coincidental,” Abella told reporters when asked if the President discussed the matter or if Liu defended Beijing’s construction in the disputed waters, which has worried some Philippine officials.

Abella said Liu’s visit was a continuing effort to boost confidence-building measures between Beijing and Manila – which Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on during Duterte’s China state visit last October.

“Let me just read to you the visit proceeds on the agreement made between the President and President Xi Jinping during the former’s state visit to China on the 21st of October 2016, wherein both sides affirm the importance of existing Philippine-China bilateral dialogue mechanisms in enhancing, understanding, broadening cooperation and striving for a stronger relationship,” Abella said.

Read the full story at PhilStar