BEIJING (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, the ministry said that Duterte would pay a visit to China on October 18-21 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"The Chinese side hopes that the forthcoming visit of president Duterte will help to promote the level of mutual political trust, to deepen practical cooperation and to strengthen traditional friendship," Geng told reporters.
Geng added that he hoped the visit would contribute to settlement of the existing disputes between Beijing and Manila.
The relations between China and the Philippines deteriorated after the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled on July 12 that Beijing had no legal basis to claim historic rights to South China Sea resources and that it had violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines in the country's exclusive economic zone. The ruling came after Manila filed a case in January 2013 accusing Beijing of violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Earlier in October, Duterte voiced an intention to strengthen his country's relations with Russia and China. Duterte's visit is expected to become his first visit to China during the tenure that started on June 30.
