Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, has arrived to begin his four-day state visit to China.

Ahead of his visit, Duterte told Chinese media that his country expects to boost its traditional friendship with China and further bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the visit "historic" and said it marks a new beginning for bilateral relations. Wang made the comments at a joint news conference with his New Zealand counterpart, Murray McCully.

"The retrogression of relations between China and the Philippines in the last few years has undermined ties, and also affected regional stability. After taking office, President Duterte decided to restore friendly relations with China and has shown a willingness to come back on to the track of dialogue and cooperation. This reflects the wish of the Philippine people and is in line with the national interest. No foreign force can stand in the way of such process," said Wang.