President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping were seen shaking hands during the turnover ceremony of the APEC Summit chairmanship, where South Korea officially handed over hosting duties to China for next year’s summit.
In a Facebook post, President Marcos said he congratulated President Xi as China assumes the APEC Chairmanship in 2026 and reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to partnership and meaningful cooperation in the region.
Earlier this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said no meeting between the two leaders had been scheduled.
DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona, however, said that two possible bilateral meetings were still being finalized, though she declined to give details.
“We are looking at possibly two bilateral meetings, but these are still being finalized,” Escalona said.
