Chinese Premier Li arrives at Palace for an official visit

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday welcomed Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Malacañang for an official visit.

Duterte is expected to hold an expanded bilateral meeting with Li during the visit.

Welcome ceremonies for Chinese Premier pic.twitter.com/n5bm6RJmrj

— Trisha Macas (@trishamacas) November 15, 2017

The leaders will also witness the signing of various memoranda of understanding and give a joint press statement after.

Duterte and Li will attend the ceremonial launching of the Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella Pantaleon bridges project and the dangerous drugs abuse treatment and rehabilitation center project.

Duterte will then host a state banquet in honor of Li at 7 p.m.

The two already met at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-China Summit on Monday where it was finally agreed that negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea would start.

Duterte already had a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Vietnam on November 11.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Xi told Duterte that there were no threats to the freedom of navigation in the disputed maritime area. —ALG, GMA News