China is willing to participate in the construction of railways and airports in the Philippines and work together for better connectivity, Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli told a high-end forum of business leaders from both countries on Oct 20 in Beijing.

Zhang, attending the forum with visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, listed a series of priority sectors for “unfolding, in-depth cooperation”. They included infrastructure, production capacity, trade investment and agricultural poverty alleviation.

Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli meets with visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte before the forum on Oct 20 in Beijing, capital of China. [Photo/Xinhua]

More than 700 delegates gathered at the China-Philippines Trade and Investment Forum in hopes of returning bilateral economic collaboration to its former strength as the relationship between the countries is being improved during Duterte’s visit.

The two countries are “neighbors that cannot move away from each other”, Zhang said, and a neighborly friendship is the “only and correct choice for both”. They should increase links in their respective development strategies, he said.

Duterte, on his part, expressed his appreciation of China’s support on economic fronts.

Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli meets with visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte before the forum on Oct 20 in Beijing, capital of China. [Photo/Xinhua]