Xi says China hopes China-Philippines ties back on track

China's Vice President Xi Jinping said Friday that he hopes bilateral relations between China and the Philippines could come back to the right track.

"China-Philippines relations have encountered some difficulties. However, through effective communications between the two sides, the tensions have been eased," Xi told the Philippine Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, a special envoy of the Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III.

"I hope the situation would not reverse backwards and bilateral relations could come back to the track of normal development," Xi said when meeting Roxas on the sidelines of the ninth China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Xi said the China-Philippines bilateral ties have maintained the momentum of development since the two forged diplomatic relations 37 years ago, and bilateral cooperation in many fields had produced positive outcomes and delivered substantial benefits to the people of the two countries.

"President Aquino showcases how he values China-Philippines relations by sending you as a special envoy to attend the CAEXPO and convey the message of developing bilateral ties," Xi told Roxas.

He said President Aquino, during his visit to China last year, reached important consensus with Chinese President Hu Jintao on promoting bilateral cooperation and properly handling the issues concerning the South China Sea.

The consensus still works as an important guideline for the development of bilateral ties, Xi said.

He called on the two nations to honestly implement the consensus in an aim to promote the healthy and stable development of the bilateral relations.

Speaking highly of the role played by the CAEXPO to foster ties between China and the ASEAN, Roxas said the Philippines sincerely wants to establish a friendly, close and normal relationship with China.

He expressed his hope that the Philippines could forge mutual trust with China, overcome the current difficulties and maintain cooperative relations.