Duterte says China trip resulted in a ‘windfall’ for the PHL

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday characterized his three-day working visit to the People's Republic of China, where he attended the Belt and Road Forum and spoke with Chinese leaders, a "windfall" for the Philippines.

Duterte, who landed in Davao City early Tuesday, said in prepared statement that "with One Belt, One Road, or OBOR, we have opportunities to synergize our efforts to bring progress and prosperity, and the peace and stability, that our people, and our region deserves."

Duterte added that the OBOR could be used to stimulate growth and improve market access.

The president also came to the conclusion, after speaking with both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, that China had "the money and they want to share it."

"The rationale behind it is really China would want a peaceful region because a peaceful region, it translates more prosperity for the people of China," added the president.

Duterte also pointed out that China was following through on the infrastructure assistance it had committed to last year during his state visit.

"We had already 100 million coming in, another 500 million," he explained. "They will start on the two bridges that will span the Pasig River."

Last Friday, Premier Li Keqiang had said that China was willing to promote win-win cooperation projects covering energy, infrastructure, finance, agriculture and fisheries so as to better benefit people from the two countries and contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Duterte had responded that the Philippines would like to learn from China's experience of development and reinforce cooperation in infrastructure, productivity, agriculture and fisheries, e-commerce and SMEs (small-and medium-sized enterprises) and other fields. — with a report from Reuters/DVM, GMA News