China’s Xi Jinping lifts travel advisories vs. PHL amid Duterte’s visit

BEIJING – Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin on Thursday announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping has lifted all travel advisories against traveling to the Philippines. 

"President Xi Jinping has announced that China will lift the travel advisories issued a few years ago to Chinese citizens traveling to the Philippines. And this lift will encourage more Chinese citizens to travel in the Philippines," Liu said in a press briefing following the signing of 13 bilateral cooperation agreements at the Great Hall of the People here. 

Duterte is currently on a state visit to China. His visit ends on Friday, Oct. 21.

Amid tensions over the West Philippine Sea dispute, China had issued travel advisories to its citizens planning to travel to the Philippines because of a bomb threat at the Chinese Embassy in Manila and the presence of criminal gangs in September 2014. 

Liu also said that China has reissued permits to 27 companies exporting tropical fruits to China, mango included.

A few days before his trip to Beijing, Duterte announced that China had allowed export of Philippine banana and pineapple. 

Meanwhile, Chinese netizens once urged their fellowmen to boycott mango after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines on West Philippine Sea dispute. — RSJ, GMA News