Xi meets former Philippine president

BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

Xi said that while being President of the Philippines, Duterte resolutely made the strategic choice of improving relations with China, with an attitude of being responsible to the people and history. China-Philippines relations were able to return to the right track and prosper, a demonstration of the important contributions Duterte made to friendly exchanges between the two countries.

Noting that China and the Philippines are both developing countries in Asia, Xi said the development of the two countries is rooted in the good-neighborly and friendly peripheral environment and the Asian family of win-win cooperation.

China upholds the policy of neighborhood diplomacy featuring amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and has always been committed to forging friendship and partnership with its neighbors, said Xi.

China always attaches importance to China-Philippines relations and is willing to work with the Philippines to promote the steady and long-term development of their relations, Xi said. He also expressed the hope that Duterte will continue to play an important role in the friendly cooperation between the two countries.

Thanking China for its valuable support to the Philippines' economic and social development, Duterte said that developing friendly relations between the two countries serves the interests of the two peoples and conforms to the aspiration of the majority of the Philippine people. He promised to continue contributing to promoting bilateral friendship.