Premier Li Keqiang has held talks with visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Oct 20. Premier Li said that China always advocates that bilateral disputes be resolved through dialogue between related parties.

The Premier added that the South China Sea issue should not dominate relations between China and the Philippines. He stressed that common interests outweigh any differences that exist between the two countries and added that China hopes to promote cooperation in interconnectivity, infrastructure construction, trade and investment.

Duterte said his country is pursuing an independent foreign policy and is willing to support further cooperation with China in the future.