China-Philippines ties, cooperation in new development period, spokesman

Bilateral relations and cooperation between China and the Philippines have stepped into a new development period, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Thursday.

Geng made the comments at a daily press conference when briefing reporters on bilateral cooperation on trade and investment as well as in other fields.

The two countries have begun to implement the deals reached during Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to China last month.

Representatives from the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Agriculture have been despatched to the Philippines to work with their counterparts there, Geng told a daily press briefing.

Achievements have been made in areas of economy and trade, investment, tourism and agriculture, Geng added.

Duterte's state visit to China was in October. It was his first official visit to a foreign country outside the ASEAN since he took office in June.

In their meeting last month, President Xi Jinping and Duterte agreed that their countries would properly handle differences and achieve full improvement and greater progress in bilateral ties.

The visit by Duterte to Beijing was a marking that bilateral ties and cooperation stepped into a new development period, said Geng.

China and the Philippines possess unique advantages in conducting cooperation on trade and investment, as the two countries are close to each other and compliment each other economically, said Geng.

China supports the efforts made by the people of the Philippines to push economic development under the leadership of Duterte, the spokesperson said.

"We believe cooperation between the two countries will benefit both peoples," Geng said. Endi