Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday to his Philippine counterpart Teodoro Locsin that China and the Philippines must stay permanent friends regardless of any changes in the international situation.

During their meeting in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Chinese foreign minister said that China and the Philippines are close neighbors, staying permanent good friends fully conforms to the two peoples' fundamental interests and hopes.

He added that China will continue to firmly support the Philippines in its fight against the pandemic until the final victory, as well as providing any necessary anti-COVID-19 resources and sharing experience in fighting the pandemic.

Noting that the two sides have accumulated a lot of useful experience in properly handling the South China Sea issue, Wang hoped that the two sides would continue to manage differences through dialogue and cooperation.

Two countries should also shelve the disputes to avoid affecting the hard-won momentum of improvement and development of bilateral relations, he added.

China is willing to work with the Philippines to promote the consultation on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, and reach an early agreement on effective regional rules jointly recognized by China and ASEAN, so as to show the world that China and ASEAN countries have the ability and wisdom to maintain peace and stability in the South China sea, Wang stressed.