PH, China foreign affairs heads to hold rare bilateral meeting

China Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be coming to Manila tomorrow, November 10 for a working visit. This is ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting next week where Chinese President Xi Jinping was confirmed to be attending.

Wang Yi will be meeting with his Filipino counterpart Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario. The high-level bilateral meeting tomorrow is first after tension in light of West Philippine Sea dispute between Philippines and China started in 2012.

“The Philippines looks forward to welcoming Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in his Working Visit to the Philippines on 10 November 2015 upon the invitation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario,” DFA said in a statement released today.

APEC 2015 National Organizing Council Director General Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr. said as of today 11 bilateral talks between President Aquino and other state heads have been scheduled next week to be held at the sidelines of the APEC events.

However, a formal bilateral meeting between President Aquino and the Chinese leader is not yet on the list. Philippine and Chinese foreign affairs head are expected to arrange a meeting for the two state heads.

Aside from the APEC Leaders’ Meeting, Concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting (CSOM), APEC Ministerial Meeting, APEC CEO Summit, and APEC Business Advisory Council Dialogue with Leaders will also be conducted.