Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on November 22, 2018

       问：习近平主席刚刚结束对菲律宾的访问，双方一致同意将双边关系提升为全面战略合作关系。你能否介绍有关情况？

　　答：11月20日至21日，习近平主席对菲律宾进行国事访问。中方已经发布有关消息稿，王毅国务委员兼外长也介绍了访问成果。在此，我愿再简要介绍几点。

Q: President Xi Jinping just wrapped up his visit to the Philippines, during which the two sides agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic and cooperative one. Can you give us more information?

A: From November 20 to 21, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the Philippines. The Chinese side has already released relevant readouts, and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also briefed on the outcomes of the visit. Here, I would like to briefly make a few points.

　　中菲是一衣带水、隔海相望的友好近邻。中方始终在相互尊重、坦诚相待、平等互利、合作共赢基础上同菲方发展友好关系。

　　正如大家看到的，习近平主席刚刚结束对菲律宾的国事访问。此访是习主席首次访问菲律宾，也是中国国家元首时隔13年再次往访。访问期间，两国元首共同规划双边关系发展未来，一致决定将两国关系定位提升至全面战略合作关系。这体现了双方坚持睦邻友好、推进互利合作的坚定决心。

China and the Philippines are friendly close neighbors facing each other across a strip of water. China has been developing cooperative and friendly relations with the Philippines on the basis of mutual respect, treating each other with candidness, equality and mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

Just as you may have noted, President Xi Jinping just concluded his visit to the Philippines. This is his first visit to the Philippines and a first one to that country by Chinese head of state in 13 years. During the visit, the two heads of state jointly charted the course for bilateral relations going forward and reached important consensus, deciding to elevate the relationship to a comprehensive strategic cooperative one. This demonstrates the two sides' determinations to adhere to good neighborliness and advance mutually beneficial cooperation.

　　访问期间，中菲双方在加强务实合作方面取得了一系列重要成果，一致同意全面推进安全、发展、人文三大支柱领域合作，并签署了共建“一带一路”合作谅解备忘录、油气开发合作文件，达成了涉及基础设施建设、能源、农业、金融、电信等领域的约30项合作协议。中方将继续帮助菲律宾开展更多减贫等社会民生项目，扩大教育、文化、旅游等交流合作，打造增进两国人民了解和友谊的新舞台。

　　当前，中菲合作展现出前所未有的生命力和新气象，合作布局正不断完善，这必将为两国人民带来更多实实在在的福祉。中方愿以此访为契机，同菲方传承友谊、深化合作，共享发展繁荣。

During the visit, the two sides also achieved a series of key outcomes on strengthening practical cooperation. We agreed to advance cooperation in three pillar areas of security, development and people-to-people exchanges, signed a MOU on the Belt and Road and cooperation documents on maritime oil and gas development, and concluded around 30 cooperation agreements in such areas as infrastructure, energy, agriculture, finance and telecommunications. China will continue to help the Philippines with more of its poverty relief and other social and livelihood projects, expand communication and cooperation in education, culture and tourism and build a new arena for the two peoples to understand and forge friendship with each other.

The China-Philippines cooperation has demonstrated vitality and taken on a new look unprecedentedly with the structure of cooperation continuously improving, which will surely bring more tangible benefits to the two peoples. China is willing to take this visit as an opportunity to build the traditional friendship and deepen cooperation with the Philippines to achieve shared development and prosperity.