According to a report from China News Service in Cebu, Philippines, on September 28, Francisco L. Benedicto, a senior Philippine diplomat and former Philippine Ambassador to China, attended the reception hosted by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Cebu on the evening of September 27 to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. In an interview with China News Service reporters, he pointed out that people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and China have always been "very good," and that the future of bilateral relations between the two countries is very optimistic, stating that the relationship "will certainly improve and become closer."
Benedicto called for direct negotiations to resolve the South China Sea dispute and emphasized that there is huge potential for the development of China-Philippines relations. He noted that the two countries need each other, and bilateral trade volume is expected to rise year by year. Furthermore, if bilateral relations improve, the Philippines has the potential to attract millions of Chinese tourists annually, similar to Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. "This will drive the prosperity of the Philippine tourism industry and greatly benefit the country's service sector and even the national economy." (Source: China News Service)