The President left the Philippines at 3:35 p.m., and arrived in China at 7:40 p.m.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 24) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday afternoon left for China to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, Malacañang said in a statement.
This is the President’s fourth trip to China since the beginning of his term in 2016. He had gone to China for the Boao Forum for Asia in April 2018, the First Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation in May 2017, and his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2016.
Philippine business leaders are expected to attend this year’s BRF which runs from April 25 to 27.
Duterte will meet with Xi again, as well as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during the trip. Five bilateral deals are expected to be signed between the two countries in the areas of education, anti-corruption, official development assistance as well as drug rehabilitation.
The China trip comes in the wake of tensions in the West Philippine Sea after Chinese fishermen harvested giant clams in Scarborough Shoal and their deployment of vessels near Pag-asa Island.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Meynardo Montealegre earlier said the sea dispute and China’s actions might be a topic for discussion between the two countries.
