Philippines' Marcos Jr. heads to China for 3 days

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.Marcos Jr. started a three-day trip to China on Tuesday, with the leader expected to broach the issue of the South China Sea, where Manila has overlapping territorial claims with Beijing, as both countries set a fresh tone for their relations.

Marcos took office in June of last year, and he's the first state visit outside Southeast Asia. His predecessor Rodrigo Duterte was known for his appeasement of Beijing, taking an accommodating stance toward China's incursions in waters claimed by Manila in exchange for promised investment from the major Asian economy.

In a speech before leaving Manila, Marcos said he is looking forward to meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping as we work toward shifting the trajectory of our relations to a higher gear that will bring numerous prospects and abundant opportunities for the peace and development of both countries.

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