Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. welcomes all efforts to engage China following the recent meeting of former President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing but added that he would like to know its outcome.

"Same as the president (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.), we'd like to know what issue of national interest was talked about," said Teodoro.

"We'd like to wait as to what was the outcome of such a meeting and we encourage all efforts anyway to engage with China on a non-formal track. However from where I sit, my position is to build a credible deterrent posture against all threats of course," he added.

Teodoro expressed confidence that as a former president, Duterte is thinking of the interest of the Philippines.

Xi and Duterte met at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 17.

In her Twitter account, Hua Chunying, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said President Xi "appreciates the strategic choice Mr. Duterte made to improve relations with China during his presidency and his important contributions to friendly exchanges between the two countries.'' Robina Asido/DMS