Ties with China highlighted in Philippine election

The Sino-Philippine relations have been repeatedly mentioned during the presidential campaign, as Filipinos are keen to learn about the possible change of the foreign policy the incoming president would make.

Wilson Lee Flores, columnist and analyst, said the new leader of the Philippines has "the golden opportunity" to repair severely damaged Sino-Philippine relations without jeopardizing ties with other traditional allies.

"If the new leader can normalize ancient friendship ties between the Philippines and China, it will benefit the Philippines and the whole of Asia in terms of more vibrant economic dynamism, peace and stability," he added.

Richard Javad Heydarian, a specialist in Asian affairs and assistant professor in political science at De La Salle University, said the foreign policy is about making sure the Philippines doesn't get into wars with other countries. Endit