MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in a historic bilateral meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday, November 17.

The two leaders discussed strengthening and expanding the Philippines-China relationship particularly in the areas of agriculture, energy, infrastructure and people-to-people connections.

Marcos and Xi earlier agreed to hold further bilateral talks to have a more comprehensive discussion of issues after the latter congratulated the Philippine leader for winning the polls in May.

Marcos and Xi’s bilateral meeting occurred on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

The President’s meeting with the Chinese leader, according to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, is significant given that the global power is a large trading partner and a major source of investment.

In his attendance at the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits in Cambodia, President Marcos bared the consensus among ASEAN member states to support the One China Policy while urging China and Taiwan to resolve their dispute peacefully.

The One-China Policy is the diplomatic acknowledgment of the position held by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that there is only a single sovereign state under the name China. (PND)