Philippines to sign $13.5B in deals with China

           

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shows the way to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. AP/Ng Han Guan

BEIJING — Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez says the Philippines and China will sign $13.5 billion of deals during President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to China this week.

 

Lopez was speaking Thursday at a business forum in Beijing attended by Duterte and various Chinese and Filipino officials.

 

The forum followed meetings between Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who hailed the Southeast Asian nation leader's visit as being of "milestone significance."

 

Earlier in the day, the leaders oversaw the signing of agreements that touched on the financing of infrastructure projects, boosting trade and tourism, lifting export restrictions and other issues.

 

Duterte has sought China's help by setting aside the thorny issue of territorial disputes.

 

A Chinese senior diplomat says Chinese President Xi Jinping and Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte did not discuss whether China would allow Filipino fishermen to return to Scarborough Shoal, an outcome likely to disappoint the Southeast Asian country.

 

Scarborough Shoal is the fishing ground China seized in 2012 that is the crux of the China-Philippines territorial dispute. An international tribunal found the Philippines and China both retained traditional fishing rights in the area.

 

Before his trip to China, Duterte said he would ask Beijing to allow Filipino fishermen to again operate in the area.

 

Vice Minister Liu Zhenmin also says China will lift restrictions on imports of tropical fruit from the Philippines and also cancel a travel advisory that had discouraged Chinese tourists from going to the Philippines.