China and the Philippines have just concluded their high-stakes diplomatic engagement this week. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, along with other ranking officials from both sides, met on Thursday in Beijing to discuss various issues and sign different agreements that benefit both nations.

During the 8th official bilateral talks between both Asian nations, the leaders from both sides expressed their desire to build a stronger economic relationship. At the start of the event, which was held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing Thursday evening, Duterte reaffirmed the importance of the relationship between both leaders, both officially and personally.

Xi expressed the same sentiment during his opening remarks, even mentioning that he was very happy to meet his "old friend" once again. The last time both leaders had met was around four months ago during the Belt and Road Forum that was held in Beijing.

Duterte openly thanked China for its continued support for the development of the Philippines' infrastructure. China has loaned the country billions of pesos for its various infrastructure projects aimed at boosting its economy. Xi responded by mentioning that it was always a pleasure working with Duterte and he hopes they can continue working to improve the relations between both nations.

Apart from the opening remarks and the initial face-to-face meeting, the media were not allowed to stay for the rest of the session. The topics that were actually discussed and the specifics of the agreements that were signed were not disclosed. However, Duterte did mention that he will be discussing various issues involving the West Philippine Sea.

Duterte previously stated that there will be nothing that can stop him from discussing the Philippines' victory after the arbitral ruling in 2016 regarding China's claim over the contested waters. It has not yet been confirmed if the topic was discussed during the meeting.

The Philippine president had also previously stated that instead of fighting China over its claim, the country will likely try to propose the joint exploration of the contested waters and to iron out a code of conduct for both countries' sea vessels and fishing rights.

According to local media reports, a number of bilateral deals were signed during the meeting this week. However, details regarding the deals have not yet been made public. The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs did reveal that the deals mostly covered areas such as science and technology, education, and economic development.

Following the meeting, Duterte and the rest of the Philippine delegation attended a state banquet hosted by China to honor their visitors.