Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that he hoped Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's "milestone" visit to China could help "fully improve" ties, which have suffered from to a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. On Wednesday, to the cheers of hundreds of Filipinos in Beijing, Duterte said Philippine foreign policy was veering towards China. "The two sides briefly mentioned the South China Sea. China claims most of the energy-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. "The Chinese people are passionate about peace," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement, citing Xi.

Source: Egypt Independent October 20, 2016 07:07 UTC