President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he had a “pleasant exchange” with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 2022 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.

In a video statement released by the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), Marcos shared he was happy for the opportunity to meet the Chinese President for the first time.

“We spoke a bit about regional issues but mostly about the plans I have for the state visit that I will be undertaking to China in the first week of January,” he said.

Marcos said more matters involving the Philippines and China ties would be discussed further in his state visit.

The chief executive also shared that Chinese President Xi was surprised to meet his old friend, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Arroyo, who is also attending this year's APEC summit, accompanied Marcos during the bilateral meeting.

“They had a few minutes of recollecting the meeting they have had, which I think helped the tone of the meeting. So I am looking forward to January and the state visit to China,” Marcos said.