Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said in Xiamen Saturday that the Philippines was ready to enhance cooperation with southeast China's Fujian Province.

He made the remarks when meeting with Sun Chunlan, secretary of the Fujian provincial committee of the Communist Party of China, in Fujian's southeastern city of Xiamen.

Noting that about 85 percent of the ethnic Chinese in the Philippines are of Fujian ancestry, Aquino said the Philippines and Fujian enjoyed close contacts.

He said as Fujian was taking part in China's building of an economic zone on the western side of the Taiwan Strait, the Philippines was willing to play an active role in the economic zone's construction.

During his stay in Fujian, Aquino also toured his ancestral home in Hongjian village of the province's Zhangzhou city, where his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, used to plant a tree during a visit in 1988.

Aquino said the tradition and memory made him closely connected with Fujian, and he hoped to carry on the long-standing friendship between China and the Philippines.

Aquino left Xiamen for home later Saturday afternoon, wrapping up his five-day state visit to China.

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