China urges the Philippines to get ties back on track

BEIJING - China urged the Philippines on Thursday to work with China to restore healthy and stable development of bilateral ties.

The comment by the Chinese Foreign Ministry came after a spokesman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, Raul Hernandez, said President Benigno Aquino III has decided not to attend the China-ASEAN Expo next week in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

China has always treasured friendship with the Philippines and attaches importance to the bilateral relations, the Ministry spokesman's office said in a written statement.

China welcomes and supports all ASEAN members, including the Philippines, to the China-ASEAN Expo, the statement said.

"We hope to make the Expo an important platform for China and ASEAN to strengthen friendly exchanges and contribute more to the strategic partnership," it said.