Duterte offers to promote PH-China ties --- By Bernadette E. Tamayo and Kristina Maralit --- Manila times

(UPDATE) FORMER president Rodrigo Duterte offered to play a role in promoting Philippine-China friendship when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, China Central Television (CCTV) reported. Duterte met with Xi on Monday afternoon. Xi welcomed Duterte at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Duterte was accompanied by his former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea. The CCTV report, with English translation, said Xi noted that China "always attaches importance to China-Philippines relations." Xi expressed the hope that Duterte "can continue to play an important role in promoting friendly cooperation between the two countries." The former Philippine president "thanked the Chinese side for its valuable support for the economic and social development of the Philippines, especially for its generous aid in combating the Covid-19 pandemic," the CCTV said. "Developing friendly relations with China is in the interests of the two peoples and also meets the aspiration of most Filipinos," he said, adding he is "willing to play a role in promoting Philippine-China friendship." The CCTV said Xi said China "stands ready to promote steady and sustained development of relations with the Philippines." "Thanks to the Philippine president's strategic option during his term of office, China-Philippines relations can be brought back on the right track and thrive," Xi also said, praising Duterte's "important contributions to the two countries' friendly exchanges," the CCTV reported. Xi said China and the Philippines are both developing countries in Asia with development rooted in a good-neighborly and friendly surrounding environment, it said. China will continue to act on the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and on the policy of forging friendships and partnerships with its neighbors, the CCTV added, quoting Xi. The purpose of Duterte's visit to China was not clear, occurring ahead of the handing of the International Criminal Court's decision on the case against him in connection with his bloody drug war. The ICC on Tuesday rejected the Philippine government's appeal to stop the investigation of Duterte's war on drugs, which some critics said led to human rights violations. Duterte's co-accused in the case, Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, said he was not aware of what Xi and the former president discussed. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he was aware of the meeting that transpired between Duterte and Xi Jinping and expressed hope his predecessor would help establish a new line of communication for the resolution of outstanding issues between the two countries. Speaking at the sidelines of the kickoff of the government's Food Stamp Program (FSP) in Tondo, Manila, Marcos also said Duterte did not need his permission to go to Beijing, as the meeting was "between friends," but would welcome any input from the former leader in the coming days. "I knew that he was going to go there. They are friends; they know each other. So, I hope they were able to talk about issues we are facing now, like the shadowing and other things. All of these things that we are seeing now, I hope they were able to talk about it so we could achieve progress. Because that's what we are after, for talks to continue," he told reporters in Filipino, referring to the recent sighting of dozens of Chinese vessels near Iroquois Reef, south of oil- and gas-rich Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea. The Chief Executive said it does not matter who initiated talks between the two claimants to the disputed waterway, as he welcomes "any new lines of communication." "If that is [Duterte], then good. It's not important to me who that will be. As long as there will be someone who can help, I am sure that he will be able to tell us what happened during their conversation and see how that affects us," he added. The Philippines recently marked the seventh anniversary of the international arbitral ruling trashing China's expansive claims over the South China Sea based on its nine-dash line.

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