China's top political adviser Jia Qinglin met Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo here on Friday, pledging further efforts to bolster bilateral ties.

Jia, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, said developing relations with the Philippines as friendly neighbors was an important part of China's foreign policy and was in the interests of the peoples from both countries.

Jia said China attached great importance to participating in major projects that would benefit the Filipino people and China would continue to encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in the Philippines.

He said mutual trust had deepened since the turn of the century, especially after Chinese President Hu Jintao and Arroyo forged a strategic cooperative partnership in 2005. Since then, China and the Philippines had been coordinating closely with each other over international and regional issues, he added.

Jia thanked the government of the Philippines for its understanding of and support for China on issues concerning China's core interests, including the issue of Taiwan.

He also thanked Arroyo for offering assistance to victims of a killer earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province last year and inviting 100 children from victim families to visit the Philippines.

President Arroyo said China and the Philippines had a long history of friendly exchanges. Bilateral ties had been boosted in recent years and that had helped the Philippines weather the financial crisis.

Jia arrived in the Philippines Thursday for a two-day official visit.

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