China's newly appointed Commerce Minister, Zhong Shan, has just completed a four-day visit to the Philippines, which began on March 6. The trip aimed to implement the consensus reached by the two countries’ presidents last year, and prepare for Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang's visit to the Philippines next week. 

Zhong met with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and six ministers in Manila. Zhong also co-hosted the 28th Philippine-Chinese Joint Commission on Economic and Trade Cooperation. The commission resumed after a six-year suspension. 

The two countries also decided to sign the Six-Year Development Plan of China-Philippines Economic and Trade Cooperation when Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang visits the Philippines next week. 

The spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said at Thursday’s press conference that this visit was "fruitful," and the two sides agreed to facilitate cooperation in bi-lateral trade, investment, development aid, and projects of important infrastructure and improving people's livelihoods. 

Due to the South China Sea issue, bilateral relations between China and the Philippines experienced a couple of tense years. But after taking office in June 2016, Duterte chose a different path to engage with China: cooperation, rather than confrontation. 

Duterte visited China and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping last October, which indicated a comprehensive improvement in the bilateral relations of the two nations.

High-level bilateral exchanges have become more frequent since then. Five Philippine Ministers visited Beijing in January, and after less than two months, the Chinese Commerce Minister returned the favor with a visit of their own. 

At a recent press conference during the Two-Sessions, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also spoke optimistically about the evolution of the bilateral relations between China and the Philippines. “The great potential of China-Philippine cooperation is being unleashed rapidly. We need to make up the time we wasted in the past. We agreed to establish a bilateral mechanism to resolve the South China Sea issue. Bilateral relations have seen sunshine after the rain,"  Wang said.

Since last October, the number of Chinese tourism groups to the Philippines has increased by one thousand, and China has imported more than 20 tons of tropical fruits from the Philippines. Beijing says the door to China's huge market is "wide open" to the Philippines. 

Zhong is the first Chinese minister to visit the Philippines after the bilateral relationship got back on track. Beijing says it fully shows China's willingness to strengthen friendly cooperation with the Philippines. The Philippine president also said during his visit that bilateral relations are embracing a warm spring after going through a long chilly winter.