Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte set to visit China’s Xi Jinping for fifth time since taking office

Critics accuse Duterte of being too close to Beijing and adopting a soft stance on competing claims in the South China Sea

He is reportedly planning his latest China trip to coincide with a basketball tournament featuring the Philippine national team

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during his last visit to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in April. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 8:52pm, 4 Aug 2019Updated: 11:47pm, 4 Aug 2019

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will visit China again this month, his spokesman announced on Sunday, in what will be his fifth trip to meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping since assuming office in 2016.

The visit comes amid a recent diplomatic protest filed by Manila over Chinese boats “swarming” near a Philippine-administered island in the disputed South China Sea.

Salvador Panelo, the president’s spokesman, was quoted by local media as saying that Duterte will hold bilateral talks with Xi on a number of issues, including competing maritime claims.

Last week, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr filed a diplomatic protest over Chinese boats “swarming” near Pag-asa Island, also known Thitu Island, in February and July.

Philippine defence officials have also criticised China for sending warships through a strait in the far south of the country without requesting advance clearance.

Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s spokesman. Photo: Twitter

These and “maybe all issues” will be discussed by Duterte and Xi, Panelo told Radyo Inquirer 990 AM, “including what has been discussed before on trade relations, cultural exchanges, people-to-people [exchanges], the help they have given, and the assistance we need”.