RP vice president to visit Beijing

RP vice president to visit Beijing

MANILA (AFP): Philippine Vice President Joseph Estrada said yesterday he would make a nine-day official visit to China from Saturday at the invitation of Chinese Vice President Rong Yiren.

The visit was announced amid a controversy surrounding Manila's grant of a non-exclusive geophysical permit to a U.S.- Filipino joint venture to look into the possibility of prospecting for oil in waters adjacent to the disputed Spratly Islands.

Estrada's spokesman Ike Gutierrez said the June 18-26 visit was expected to "help foster closer economic and cultural ties with the People's Republic of China." But he declined to comment on whether the Spratly issue would be discussed.