PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will invite Chinese President Xi Jinping to his home in Davao City during the latter's official visit to the Philippines in November, MalacaƱang said on Thursday, November 8.
In a chance interview with Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo revealed the President's plan to give Xi the opportunity to tour his home.
"If they want, I will [bring Xi Jinping to my home in Davao City]," Duterte reportedly said, as quoted by Panelo.
Xi is scheduled to fly to Manila by end of November.
The Chinese leader's impending trip to the Philippines will be the first under the Duterte administration.
To note, China had strained ties with the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, which filed a petition before the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration against Beijing's extensive claims to the contested South China Sea.
On July 12, 2016, the arbitral court ruled in favor of the plea submitted by the Aquino government, noting that China has no legal basis to claim sovereign rights over most features of the busy waterway potentially rich of natural resources.
Aquino's successor, Duterte, has repeatedly said that he would invoke the arbitral court's ruling at the proper time.
The President's non-adversarial approach has led to warmer and closer ties with China,
Xi could become the second top leader in a foreign country who will have the opportunity to visit Duterte's home in Matina District in Davao City.
In January 2017, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe toured Duterte's abode in Davao City for 45 minutes and had the chance to see the Philippine leader's "favorite mosquito net." (SunStar Philippines)