Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said that he is eyeing the enhancement of trade relations and other aspects of Manila's relationship with China during his first official state visit to Beijing between October 19-21.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Jr. said Duterte's trip is part of confidence-building measures to warm Manila's ties with China.

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Yasay said Duterte would not focus on the Philippines' military alliance with Beijing during his trip, adding that it was not on his agenda.

Restore ties

The Philippine foreign secretary said that although Manila hopes to restore the ties between the two countries, this does not mean that the Philippines would break its military alliance with the US.

"While we would like to foster closer relationship with China, we will certainly not engage in any military alliance with Beijing because that has never been the intention of the President," Yasay said in an interview at the foreign affairs office.

Yasay said Duterte would discuss economic cooperation with Beijing and will "strengthen and promote" other aspects of Sino-Philippine relations during his trip to China.

Businessmen

High-ranking diplomats and business officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Duterte would be accompanied by at least two dozen businessmen who are expected to forge several economic deals with China during his upcoming three-day visit.

Duterte had earlier announced that he would negotiate with China over the plight of the Filipino fishermen who have been deprived of their livelihood after China seized control of the Scarborough Shoal in 2013.

The Philippine President has said that the condition of the Filipino fishermen will be on top of his agenda during his bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Duterte said he would convince China to give the Filipino fishermen access to the Scarborough Shoal despite the July 12 ruling that said no country has any legal claim over the shoal since it is a traditional fishing ground for Chinese, Philippine, and Vietnamese fishermen.

Implementation

Duterte said that although he will not stand on the arbitration court ruling, which rejected China's claims over the disputed maritime territory, he will negotiate with and convince President Xi to help out Filipino fishermen.

In July, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that Beijing has no legal basis to stake territorial claims in the South China Sea. The court stated that Manila had violated international law and the Philippines' rights to explore resources within its exclusive economic zone.

China dismissed the ruling as "illegal" and "null and void," and vowed not to recognize the jurisdiction of the court despite condemnation from the international community. 

President Xi has said that Beijing will not accept any future talks, actions, and propositions by any state based on the ruling. 

TagsPresident Rodrigo Duterte, Sino-Philippine alliance, confidence-building measures, South China Sea, economic cooperation, China visit, President Xi Jinping, Philippines, china