China, Philippines decide to upgrade ties, build Belt and Road jointly

China and the Philippines unilaterally decided to upgrade their ties and boost cooperation by jointly advancing the Belt and Road construction.

According to Xinhua, the decision was made during a meet between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte.

The two presidents had in-depth discussions on bilateral relations and issues of common concern in six meetings over the past two years.

Xi, while calling the Philippines an important partner in building Belt and Road, urged both sides to deepen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Philippines' development plans. He further called out to boost cooperation in fields like infrastructural construction, telecommunications and agriculture.

China wishes to continue its traditional friendship with the Philippines while further deepening the cooperation between the two countries. Strengthening the bilateral relations, China firmly supports the Philippines' fight against drugs and terrorism. It also continues to provide assistance to implement more public livelihood projects in the country.