MANILA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China and the Philippines upgraded their ties to comprehensive strategic cooperation relations and agreed to advance the Belt and Road construction after President Xi Jinping and President Rodrigo Duterte held talks here on Tuesday.

Chinese national flags and the Philippines national flags line the roadsides in Manila, capital of the Philippines, on November 18. (Photo: VCG)

Xi arrived in the Philippine capital of Manila earlier Tuesday for the first state visit to the country by a Chinese head of state in 13 years.