BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a congratulatory letter to Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on his inauguration as president of the Republic of the Philippines.

In his message, Xi recalled that not long ago, he talked with Marcos over phone and reached important consensus with him on upholding good-neighborly friendship of the two countries and joining hands for common development.

Xi said he is ready to work with Marcos to chart the course for the development of bilateral ties from a strategic and long-term perspective, and continue to write a great chapter of the China-Philippines friendship and cooperation for the new era, so as to benefit the two countries and their people.