Bilateral Meeting With Xi Jinping

The President met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on 20 November 2016 during the 24th Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders which was held 19–20 November 2016 in Lima, Peru.

OPENING STATEMENT OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

DURING THE BILATERAL MEETING WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING

Delfines Hotel, Lima, Peru

19 November 2016

Mr. President, before I begin, I’d like to thank you very much for your warm hospitality and excellent arrangements extended to us in the Philippine delegation during my State Visit to Beijing.

Second, it was a successful visit, which opened a new chapter in the Philippine-China relations and signified our agencies to fast-track mutually beneficial areas of cooperation.

Mr. President, at this time, may I invite you to visit the Philippines at a mutually agreeable date. We would be happy to see you in my country.

Though it was a short visit, it has produced a lot of goodwill in my country and we hope to remain a good friend of China.

And as I have given you my word, we will cooperate with you and I said, with my thrust of an independent foreign policy, we will find ourselves mutually agreeing in so many things and align our foreign policy towards the development of Asia, strengthening of ties among the countries in the region, with China leading the way in the economic development…

[media led out of the meeting room] ●