BANGKOK, Thailand — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. described his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, November 17, as “a very pleasant exchange” on the sidelines of the APEC Summit. He disclosed that his bilateral meeting with Xi was all about “regional issues” and Marcos’ upcoming visit to China next year.
“It’s the first time that I’ve met President Xi Jinping and I was very happy that we were able to have this opportunity here in the APEC Meeting in Bangkok to have a bilateral meeting,” Marcos said after the meeting.
“The bilateral meetings are really just a kind of getting-to-know-you and that was the same with our meeting,” he added.
They talked about regional issues, he said, but mostly about the plans for his upcoming state visit to China in the first week of January.
They discussed strengthening and expanding the Philippines-China relationship especially in the areas of agriculture, energy, infrastructure and people-to-people connections.
According to Marcos, the issue on the West Philippines Sea, which he said was a matter he cannot avoid to bring up in his meeting with the Chinese leader, was not mentioned.
“Whatever details that need to be discussed between the Philippines and China will be taken up during my visit,” Marcos said.
Marcos shared that Xi was also surprised to meet his old friend, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who accompanied him during the meeting.
“And they had a few minutes of recollecting the meetings that they have had, which I think helped the tone of the meeting. So I am looking forward to January and the state visit to China,” Marcos said.
In an interview with the media prior to Marcos’ bilateral meeting with Xi, House Speaker Martin Romualdez stated that Arroyo was advising Marcos regarding his meeting with the Chinese leader.
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