President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday, July 18, that the talks between former president Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jin Ping are "good" as long as they could help the country.
"If that is President PRRD then good. Hindi importante sa akin kung sino, kung ano, basta't may makausap sila baka makatulong eh," Marcos said to reporters on Tuesday.
"I am sure that he will have ah, hindi naman report, I am sure he will be able to tell us what happened during their conversation and see how that affects us," he added.
According to Marcos, he was aware of his predecessor’s "personal" trip to China and his plan to visit Xi, as they are "friends."
"So, I hope that they talked about the issues that we see now—the shadowing and other matters," he said, alluding to recent issues by Chinese navy and coast guard ships in the West Philippine Sea, or the waters inside the Philippines' 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.
Marcos went on to say that he was confident Duterte would share with the Philippine government the specifics of his conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping as well as any potential implications for the nation.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) claimed to have no "official information" about Duterte's visit to Beijing as this situation took shape.
Marcos noted that any fresh channel of communication with China is welcome.
