Leaders focus on cooperation in APEC meetings

President sets out goals to boost relations with Philippines, Vietnam and Colombia

1 Philippines

China and the Philippines should proactively discuss maritime cooperation to make the South China Sea issue an opportunity to promote bilateral friendship, President Xi Jinping said on Saturday.

He made the remarks while meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting in Lima, Peru.

Duterte’s state visit to China last month had “turned a new page” in relations, Xi said, adding that the visit “injected positive energy” toward regional peace and stability.

The president said China and the Philippines should carry forward relations in the right direction and commit to friendly cooperation, proper management of differences and common development.

Xi called for joint efforts to restore all bilateral mechanisms. After the South China Sea arbitration case unilaterally filed by the Philippines, exchanges in many areas were halted until Duterte’s visit to China.

The Philippine leader said his nation is pursuing an independent diplomatic policy and is willing to handle maritime issues through dialogue and consultation.

He expressed gratitude for China’s support of his nation’s development and added that the countries should cooperate more in areas such as infrastructure.

2 Vietnam

China and Vietnam should resolve disputes through bilateral dialogue to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, Xi said in a meeting with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang on Saturday.

The countries should properly handle disagreements through the principles of setting aside disputes and joint development, Xi said.

He called for work on constructing a cross-border economic cooperation zone to be accelerated, and urged both nations to push forward cooperative infrastructure projects.

All APEC members should make joint efforts to ensure long-lasting prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, Xi said.

Quang said Vietnam will continue close high-level exchanges with China to push forward the steady and sustainable development of bilateral ties.

3 Colombia

China and Colombia should expand pragmatic cooperation, step up efforts to promote key projects and actively carry out production capacity cooperation, Xi told Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in their meeting on Saturday.

He said China supports Santos’ efforts to push forward the peace process in Colombia and hopes to work with the country to implement consensuses on cooperation.

China wants to see ties with Latin America develop better and faster, Xi said, adding that it is hoped Colombia will play an active role in helping to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the Pacific Alliance.

Santos said China is a great friend of Colombia, and that his country looks forward to deepening cooperation in various fields, including trade and infrastructure construction.

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