Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr looks to shift relations with China into a ‘higher gear’ after visit to Beijing

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has said he hopes to move relations with China into a “higher gear” ahead of his first visit to Beijing since taking office last year.

Marcos, who landed in Beijing on Tuesday for a three-day trip, said that he hopes to discuss security issues with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping “in a bid to settle problems in a friendly manner” and “seek to resolve those issues to the mutual benefit of the two countries”.