Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has revealed in a statement that he told Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte about his hopes for the countries to work together to bring bilateral ties back to a normal track. This statement was posted on its website on Friday.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of a regional summit in the Lao capital Thursday at a time of tension between China and the Philippines over disputed South China Sea.
According to Li, he hoped the bilateral relations could "realize healthy, stable development," in which Duterte responded that relations with China was his "active desire."
China claims much of the South China Sea, which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are just among those who also have claims.
In July, an international arbitration case brought and won by Manila ruled that China's building of numerous artificial islands was illegal and its claims to most of the South China Sea had no legal basis.
China has rejected the ruling.
Source: Reuters
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