President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. arrived in Manila late Thursday afternoon following a "fruitful and cordial" meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his officials that gave him the opportunity to secure billions of investment pledges, tackle concerns on the South China Sea and elevate the Philippines-China diplomatic relations.

After a two-day state visit to China, the Philippines' "most important partner," Marcos said he and Xi "had a comprehensive discussion" that covered important facets of the Philippines-China relations, which include agriculture, energy, infrastructure, trade and investment, science and technology, and people-to-people ties.

In his arrival speech at the Villamor Airbase, the President said the visit offered him the opportunity to exchange views on important issues that affect regional and global peace, stability, and development.

"As we embark on a new chapter of our bilateral ties, President Xi and I shared the commitment to do everything possible to ensure that the Philippines and China will continue the positive trajectory of our relations," he said.

Marcos, who in his first state address said he would not give up even an inch of Philippine territory, also said he had an "in-depth and frank discussion" on the contested South China Sea, particularly the area we call the West Philippine Sea.

This, as he said both of them "took note of our growing maturity of this bilateral relationship."

"We agreed that maritime issues between the two countries do not comprise the entirety of our relations. But we acknowledged as well, that they remain a significant concern and priority for the Philippines and for the region," Marcos said.

Among the significant developments during the trip was the upcoming establishment of direct hotline between the foreign ministries of the two countries to avoid "misunderstanding and miscalculation" with regards to the South China Sea dispute.

The President also reported about the pledges he secured that amounted to some 22.8 billion US dollars, which are mostly on renewable energy, agribusiness and strategic monitoring.

"There has been an overwhelming response from the Chinese business community on the investment and trade opportunities in our economy," he said.

Marcos is optimistic that his first China state visit will not be the last as there needs to strengthen the Philippines-China partnership to have a "stronger foundation to resolve whatever issues may continue between our two countries."

"As I said, this is a good start. And we will continue to work on this most important relationship, with this most important partner of the Republic of the Philippines," he ended.