President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of safeguarding regional peace and stability, saying that regional security cannot be realized through a military alliance.

Xi made the remarks on Friday in a telephone conversation with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. During their talks, both leaders commended the sound development of bilateral ties in the past six years and underlined the need for the two countries to work together to properly handle the South China Sea issue to uphold regional stability.

Xi said that the two countries' properly dealing with the South China Sea issue has provided an important foundation for their friendly cooperation, benefiting the two peoples and also contributing to regional peace and stability.

Noting that the current international situation demonstrates again that regional security cannot be realized by strengthening military alliances, he said that China is willing to work along with the Philippines and other countries in the region to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security so that they will be in the driver's seat to ensure regional security.

China stands ready to work with countries in the region to uphold the hard-won peace and stability in the region and jointly advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi added.

Duterte expressed the Philippines' willingness to work with China to properly handle the South China Sea issue so that they will jointly set an example for peacefully resolving disputes and upholding regional peace and stability.

The Philippines is ready to play a positive role in developing relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China, he added.

During their phone talks, Xi recalled Duterte's first China visit in October 2016, and described it as an icebreaking trip that had milestone significance for China-Philippine relations.

Over the past six years, Xi said both countries have been adhering to good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation, properly dealing with their differences and working together for shared development.

He hailed the robust development of bilateral ties and spoke highly of the countries' cooperation on trade, major infrastructure projects and their strengthening of synergies between the Belt and Road Initiative and the "Build, Build, Build" Program.

Xi also talked about the countries' support for each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

He stressed that China maintains a consistent and stable policy toward the Philippines, and is ready to work with it to bring bilateral ties to a new stage by strengthening cooperation in various fields.

Duterte said that he greatly values the friendship with Xi and called China a true and reliable friend of the Filipinos.

The Philippines wants to strengthen friendship with China, and is willing to advance bilateral cooperation in pandemic response and in the fields of trade, infrastructure, tourism and education, he said.