On April 25, 2019, President Xi Jinping met with President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines at the Great Hall of the People.
Xi Jinping pointed out that China-Philippines relations have achieved the “trilogy” of turnaround, consolidation and elevation over the past three years, and entered a new stage of development.
Rodrigo Duterte expressed that I came to China for peace and development. I congratulated on the great achievements the People’s Republic of China has made over the past 70 years since its founding. China is a lasting and reliable friend of the Philippines. The Philippine side will uphold an independent foreign policy. I am willing to work with President Xi Jinping to eliminate interference and remain determined to make friendly cooperation prevail in bilateral relations. The Philippine side is full of confidence in jointly building the BRI, and stands ready to make good use of the opportunities brought by the BRI cooperation to achieve national development goals. The Philippine side is willing to properly handle the maritime issues in order not to affect the development of bilateral relations.