Philippine President to meet Chinese Premier at ASEAN week

(Baonghean.vn) - On November 7, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will meet with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the upcoming regional summit in the Philippine capital Manila.

Speaking at a press conference, Ms. Hua Chunying stated: “During this visit, Premier Li Keqiang will hold discussions with President Duterte and meet with other leaders of the Philippines. Both sides will witness the signing of cooperation documents in relevant fields.”

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: AP

“Premier Li Keqiang’s visit is the first by a Chinese premier to the Philippines since the last visit 10 years ago,” Hua added. “China and the Philippines are friendly neighbors. Since bilateral relations improved last year, political mutual trust between the two countries has deepened. Bilateral relations are in a deep and wide range, maritime dialogue and cooperation have resumed, and China-Philippines relations are moving forward.”

Analysts have previously expressed disappointment over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s somewhat softer stance on China’s aggressive activities in the South China Sea. Some experts believe that this response could prompt Beijing to increase its military activities in the region, thereby weakening ASEAN’s key role.

Lan Ha

(According to Philstar)