Chinese President Xi Jinping sets foot in Manila for APEC

MANILA, Phiippines – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday afternoon arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 shortly after South Korean President Park Gyeun-Hye arrived in the same airport.

Xi was greeted by a welcoming body which included Finance Secretary Purisima and Philippine ambassador to China Erlinda Basilio.

Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung,  who arrived last night, was also present to welcome Xi.

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The Chinese president is set to deliver his keynote address at the 11th session of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit at the Makati Shangri-la on Wednesday morning.

Xi’s arrival was only confirmed by the Chinese Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang last week.

Reports said Xi and President Benigno Aquino III will not discuss the South China Sea dispute but they may have the chance to talk on the APEC sidelines.

Last year, Aquino and Xi discussed the sea row at the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Beijing. However, Aquino said he was not inclined to raise the dispute as host because the issues in the summit will mostly be economic.

In October, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands issued its awards on jurisdiction and admissibility on the West Philippines Sea case.

Xi, also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China and the chair of the Central Military Commission, was named the fifth most powerful person in the world by Forbes magazine.