President Xi back home after APEC meeting, Oceania and SE Asian visits

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Wednesday after state visits to Papua New Guinea, Brunei, and the Philippines, and attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting at Papua New Guinea's capital city of Port Moresby.

During his stay in Papua New Guinea, Xi also met with leaders from the Pacific island countries that have established diplomatic ties with China.

Xi's entourage included Ding Xuexiang, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee; Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee; State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi; and He Lifeng, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

When Xi left Manila for Beijing Wednesday afternoon, senior Philippine officials saw him off at the airport.

Before heading home, Xi also met with representatives of Chinese nationals and Chinese Filipinos living in the Philippines, encouraging them to make new contributions to the country's development and Sino-Philippine friendly cooperation.