An Ice-Breaking Trip.docVIP

An Ice-Breaking Trip 　　Manila extended an olive branch to fix the discord with Beijing， as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte chose China as the destination of his first international trip beyond the circle of ASEAN （Association of Southeast Asian Nations） member states since assuming office in late June. A large business delegation accompanied Duterte on the trip， which lasted from October 18 to 21. 　　As has been widely reported， territorial and maritime disputes exist between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. In recent years， China-Philippines ties have declined to their lowest level because of mounting tensions in disputed waters and repeated diplomatic rows. In particular， the then Philippine Government’s unilateral initiation of arbitration proceedings regarding the South China Sea issue at a tribunal in the Hague in January 2013 brought the two states’ relationship to deadlock. 　　Now， the Philippine leader’s China trip presents a sign of positive change. In talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Duterte on October 20， the two sides agreed to properly handle differences and achieve full improvement of， and greater progress in， bilateral ties. 　　After the meeting， the two governments signed 13 cooperation deals in a wide range of fields including trade， investment， industry， agriculture， tourism and combating drugs. 　　Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli and President Duterte also attended a bilateral economic and trade cooperation forum in Beijing. 　　Having resumed their dialogue， though， how will China and the Philippines embrace the warming of their relations after years of tension？ 　　 U-turn in policy 　　The recent presidential election in the Philippines has offered a chance for change， said Ma Xiaolin， a professor of international studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University. 　　Duterte has showed his political wisdom in handling domestic and foreign affairs despite his administration taking office only three months ago， s