Palace: Mar Roxas' talks with China's Xi Jinping 'constructive, cordial'

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II's talks with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on “outstanding issues” were “constructive” and “cordial,” Malacañang said Saturday. In a statement,  the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson on Saturday said Roxas met with Xi at the 9th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning City on Friday. Roxas flew to China on Thursday after President Benigno Aquino III picked him as a special envoy to Beijing. “The meeting focused on the current outstanding issues between the two countries and on other dimensions of their bilateral relationship. Both the Philippines and China expressed their desire to resolve outstanding issues while moving forward with their bilateral relations,” the statement said. Xi “expressed appreciation” over Aquino’s decision to send Roxas as special envoy, the statement added. "This [Roxas' visit] showed  the importance that President Aquino attaches to Philippines-China relations,” the statement quoted Xi as saying. Xi promised to bring Aquino's message to the attention of Chinese President Hu Jintao, and also responded “to the matters raised in the meeting,” which Roxas promised to convey to President Aquino. The statement did not elaborate on the points raised in the meeting. "We had a frank and candid exchange of views and I am satisfied that I was able to faithfully convey President Aquino's message,” Roxas was quoted as saying. China and the Philippines are still locked in a dispute over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine. The dispute began in April when Philippine authorities spotted Chinese fishermen gathering marine species in the area, but were blocked by Chinese ships before they could make arrests. The two nations, along with other countries, have overlapping claims on the Spratly group of islands in the West Philippine Sea. Last Friday, President Aquino said he instructed Roxas to conduct talks with China regarding the two country's territorial disputes. “Ang instructions ko kay Secretary Roxas, simpleng-simple: siguraduhin na maparating ‘yung ating mga pananaw doon sa highest levels of the leadership of the People’s Republic para klarong walang lost in translation, para klaro kung saan tayo nagmumula, anong agam-agam natin, anong inaasahan natin,” Aquino said. In clarifying Secretary Roxas' qualification as special envoy, Aquino said, “Well, ang number one na inaasahan ko siguro, China is a one-party state. Si Mar Roxas is president of the party where I belong,” Aquino said without elaborating. Roxas' new mission comes in the wake of revelations at an acrimonious Senate session on Sept. 19 that Sen. Antonio Trillanes privately advocated for Roxas to replace Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario. Trillanes had been assigned by President Aquino to be a back-channel negotiator with China. The senator said he was sent “on a confidential mission” by Aquino to conduct backchannel talks with China regarding the Panatag Shoal dispute. However, Malacañang denied this and said Trillanes volunteered for the job. Aquino said it was China who picked Trillanes. Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio and Philippine Embassy Beijing Charge d'Affaires Alex Chua joined Roxas in the China meeting. — LBG, GMA News