Cayetano: PHL relationship with China ‘complicated but growing’

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday described the Philippines' relationship with China as "complicated" but "growing" amid the dispute over parts of the South China Sea.

"It's complicated, but the relationship is growing," Cayetano said in an interview on State of the Nation with Jessica Soho when asked on the current status of Philippine-China ties.

Cayetano noted that despite the territorial dispute, China provided the Philippines with firearms during the siege of Marawi City by the pro-ISIS Maute terrorist group last year.

"When we needed arms because of Marawi, binigyan tayo ng baril at bala," he said, adding that some Chinese officials even questioned this move by their government.

He also mentioned the increase in Chinese tourists visiting the Philippines from an average of 500,000 a year to 890,000 last year.

"What I'm saying is, China is gaining from the relationship, but we are also gaining," Cayetano said.

Later in the interview Cayetano admitted that the "dispute is there" with China regarding the West Philippine Sea, a portion of the South China Sea being claimed by Beijing.

"The dispute is there. Nag-usap lang na i-isolate muna natin 'yan, let's not make it worse, let's try to make it better, but all other aspects of our relationship usap tayo," he said. —KBK, GMA News