The first meeting of the China-Philippines bilateral consultation mechanism on the South China Sea is held in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)
GUIYANG, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The first meeting of the China-Philippines bilateral consultation mechanism on the South China Sea was held here on Friday.
The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Sta. Romana.
The mechanism was established this January through diplomatic consultations, Liu said in his opening remarks.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced earlier that the meeting aims to establish an institutional platform for dialogues on the South China Sea issues in accordance with consensus reached between the two countries' leaders last October.
