Duterte reappoints five special envoys to China

President Rodrigo Duterte has reappointed five special envoys, according to papers released by Malacañang on Wednesday.

Fernando Selim Borja, Wallie Lee, Carlos Chan, Cheng Yong, and William De Jesus Lima were all reappointed as special envoys to China on January 3.

Asked why Duterte needed five special envoys to the Beijing government, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, "They're his envoys to promote closer relationship with China."

Duterte has pursued closer ties with China since the Philippines won the arbitration over disputed parts of the South China Sea just before he took office in 2016.

He had traveled to China twice since then—in October 2016 and in May 2017.

The two countries have also started its bilateral mechanism on the maritime disputes.

As ASEAN chair in 2017, Duterte pushed to have a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

The ASEAN member-countries and China agreed to begin the negotiations this year, as announced in Manila in November 2017.

Aside from the special envoys to China, Duterte also reappointed special envoy to Australia Miguel M. Ayala and special envoy to the United States Jose E.B. Antonio. —NB, GMA News