by AFP
Aquino, on a mission to secure billions of dollars in business deals, vowed to rid the Philippines of corruption and ensure foreign companies "are met with a level playing field" during a five-day visit.
"Investors will not any more have to rely on connections in order to set up shop; the rules will not be circumvented and the law will be followed, creating an environment that is stable and predictable," Aquino told a trade forum in the Chinese capital.
Aquino's visit, which ends Saturday, comes against the backdrop of increasingly strident Philippine accusations of Chinese aggression and bullying in their dispute over competing claims to parts of the South China Sea.
Aquino raised the sensitive issue in his meeting with President Hu Jintao on Wednesday, but his main focus was on improving economic ties, Philippine spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters.
"He mentioned that we have differences but these differences should not deter us from moving forward," Lacierda said.
The two leaders signed nine agreements, including a five-year economic plan that targets $60 billion in two-way trade in 2016, a six-fold rise from 2010, and at least $1.5 billion in two-way direct investment by 2016.
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