Update | ‘We’re neighbours and blood brothers’: Xi tells Duterte as firebrand leader announces ‘separation’ from US

Philippine President Rodrigo ­Duterte declared his “separation” from the United States after meeting President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, with both sides agreeing to resume talks to resolve their South China Sea dispute.

The two sides also signed US$13.5 billion worth of deals during Duterte’s state visit that wraps up today, according to the Philippine trade secretary.

But some mainland analysts cautioned that rhetoric aside, ­Manila appeared to be readjusting its “excessively” one-sided policy favouring Washington and was far from pivoting towards China.

In their meeting, Xi suggested the two sides “temporarily put aside” disputes and learn from the “political wisdom” of history when the two nations had kept their differences in check through talks.“As long as we stick to friendly dialogue and consultation, we can frankly exchange views on any problem, manage differences, discuss cooperation, and temporarily put aside what is hard to reach by consensus,” Xi said.

Although ties had “weathered storms, the foundation ... of their relations would not be changed,” Xi said. The two countries were neighbours across the sea whose people were brothers linked by blood, he said.