MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed Monday members of the Communist Party of China in Malacañang.

In a press statement sent late Monday night, Malacañang said Duterte met with Chongqing party chief Chen Min’er and other members of Communist Party of China (CPC) in a courtesy call at the Palace’s Music Room.

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“A protégé of Chinese President Xi Jinping,” the Palace said “Chen is seen as a rising political star in China.”

He became the Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing, one of China’s leading cities, in 2017.

He also joined the 25-member Politburo, the CPC’s top decision-making body and has served as the head of the provincial department of propaganda and vice governor of Zhejiang province.

Chen became Guizhou’s governor in 2013 before being promoted as provincial communist party secretary.

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua, Vice Minister of the International Department-CPC Central Committee (IDCPC) Guo Yezhou, Executive Vice Mayor of Chongqing Municipal People’s Government and Secretary-General of CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee Wang Fu accompanied Chen in Malacañang.

Government officials present during the meeting were PDP-Laban President Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, Department of Energy Secretary and PDP-Laban Vice Chairman Alfonso Cusi, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority Secretary and PDP-Laban Vice President for International Affairs Raul Lambino, Department of Foreign Affairs Acting Secretary Jose Eduardo Malaya III, and Senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Francis Tolentino.

Last March, Duterte also met with a Chinese delegation led by Song Tao, minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The President then explained that the Philippine government had nothing to do with the complaint filed against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court by former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. /gsg

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