On April 22, the foreign ministry of the Philippines issued a statement that the Philippines extends the warmest welcome to Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming state visit to the country from April 26 to 28.

In the statement the Philippine foreign ministry said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and China. The bilateral relations are experiencing unprecedented development in terms of width and depth, and the upcoming visit of President Hu Jintao will help consolidate the bilateral friendly relations.

The statement noted that China has become the fourth largest trading partner of the Philippines and the two countries are strengthening cooperation in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure and mine industry. Both countries also witness increasing mutual political trust. The visit of Philippine President Arroyo in September 2004 has stimulated the growth of bilateral friendly ties.

On April 22, Chinese flag was hung along the major streets of Manila, capital of the Philippines to welcome the visit of President Hu Jintao.