BANGKOK, Thailand—A very pleasant exchange.
This was how President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. described his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, Nov. 17, 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.
He said they spoke about regional issues, 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 particularly in the areas of agriculture, energy, infrastructure and people-to-people connections.
The issue on the West Philippines Sea, which Marcos 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.
The chief executive 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.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez during an interview with the media ahead of Marcos’ bilateral meeting with Xi said that Arroyo was giving Marcos advice as far as his meeting with the Chinese leader is concerned.
READ MORE: Arroyo gives Marcos advice on meeting with Xi Jinping
WATCH: Marcos said he and President Xi had a "very pleasant exchange."
"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."OPS @manilabulletin pic.twitter.com/1dAmjsjO8t
— Betheena Unite (@MB_unite) November 17, 2022