China: No plan to discuss South China Sea row during APEC

MANILA, Philippines - Beijing on Tuesday clarified that the maritime dispute over the South China Sea will not be discussed in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila.

"There is no plan to discuss the South China Sea issue," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said during a press briefing.

Li hinted that the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is not the proper venue for discussing the South China Sea dispute.

"APEC is mainly a platform to discuss economic and trade cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region," the Chinese official said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is currently in the Philippines upon the invitation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario.

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Wang is set to compare notes with Filipino senior officials in preparation for the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Philippines next week.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said that China is hoping to improve its relationship with the Philippines, as well as to resolve the maritime dispute between the two countries.

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