Xi to Duterte: China will not impede freedom of navigation in South China Sea

Chinese President Xi Jinping assured President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday that China will not impede the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who witnessed the closed-door bilateral meeting between the two leaders, described the discussions as being frank.

The meeting was held at the Crowne Plaza Da Nang Resort in Vietnam at the close of the APEC Summit, which the two leaders attended.

LOOK: Pres. Duterte, Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping in bilateral meeting now @gmanews pic.twitter.com/6oRRcWGD8e

— Joseph Morong (@Joseph_Morong) November 11, 2017

Roque said that during the meeting, Duterte raised the issue on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

"He assured us again na, 'Do not worry, you have all the rights of safe passage," Duterte said in a report by Joseph Morong on 24 Oras on Sunday.

"He was quite surprised about by my coming in very strong of my statement here about the conduct of the sea," Duterte added. "I said, 'I'm not raising any sovereign issue; do not worry. But as [ASEAN] Chairman, I was made the tunnel for the communications to be active. I had to do it because the Philippines chairs the ASEAN now."

However, Duterte did not bring up the Philippines' victory in the Court of Permanent Arbitration over China regarding the latter's claim over nearly the entire South China Sea.

Xi, in response, said that the discussions on the Code of Conduct will continue and hopes to finish it, according to Roque.

Duterte had said previously that China needs to come up with a Code of Conduct after Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-states expressed worry over the militarization in the South China Sea.

Roque added that Xi assured Duterte that China would not impede the freedom of navigation in the disputed sea.

Xi lauded Duterte for his leadership of the ASEAN saying the latter leads by example and that China and the ASEAN are enjoying good relations, according to Roque.

On North Korea, Xi told Duterte that he is urging the United States and North Korea to talk and China is not interested in the escalation of tension in the Korean Peninsula.

Both leaders invited each other to visit their respective countries.

Duterte, meanwhile, thanked Xi for China’s help in the Marawi crisis during his opening remarks.

In bilateral mtg, Pres. Duterte thanks Pres. Xi for assistance on Marawi. Was making a point on a “misunderstanding” before media was ushered out of room @gmanews pic.twitter.com/AbhBqh8YTS

— Joseph Morong (@Joseph_Morong) November 11, 2017

The Philippine leader is due back to Manila at past midnight. —ALG/BM, GMA News