Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China
April 25, 2019

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte underscored the importance of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation as another opportunity for the two nations to renew the countries’ strong alliance as he convened with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China in a bilateral meeting.

In a brief statement, President Duterte expressed his gratitude to President Xi for the invitation to grace the Belt and Road Forum for the second time since it is a chance for both nations to talk about various areas of cooperation.

He also said that the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the Philippines and China affirmed their strong desire to further deepen and broaden their commitments in maintaining maintaining development and security.

In response, President Xi Jinping conveyed his optimism and happiness for the good and strong connection between the two countries, reiterating that the Philippines shall remain a good friend of China.

The Chinese leader also emphasized the importance of the participation of the Philippines in the Belt and Road Forum since President Duterte shares the same vision of a more developed nation in terms of economic growth and infrastructure stability through the Chief Executive’s ‘Build Build Build’ program.

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