MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte, on his fifth state visit in China this month, will discuss with Chinese President Xi Jinping the Reed Bank incident wherein a Chinese vessel collided with a Filipino fishing boat last June.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo on Sunday said the incident will be discussed when the two leaders meet later this month.
“I am sure that the two leaders will discuss the (Reed Bank) incident during their bilateral meeting,” Panelo said.
“There will be talks about trade relations, problems that confronted the two countries respective to their territories, cultural exchanges and people-to-people, and many other things beneficial to both countries,” he added.
Duterte and Xi met last April during the 2nd Belt and Road Forum in China, where the Philippine leader witnessed the signing of 19 business agreements with China.
Since assuming presidency in 2016, Duterte already has four state visits to China, the most visits he made in a country as a President.
A Chinese vessel allegedly rammed and abandoned an anchored Filipino fishing boat with 22 fishermen on board at Reed Bank in the disputed West Philippine Sea on June 9.
The Chinese embassy in Manila denied the abandonment, saying the Chinese captain tried to rescue the Filipino fishermen “but was afraid of being besieged by other Filipino fishing boats.”/PN
