Home 
MANILA, Philippines? (UPDATE) A senior official of the Communist Party of China arrived in Manila before noon Tuesday for a two-day visit.
Liu Qi, member of the political bureau of the party?s central committee and secretary of the Beijing party committee, was met by Representative Cecilla Villarosa, Ambassador Harry Angpin, businessman Lucio Tan, and other leaders of the Chinese-Filipino community.
He is scheduled to meet President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Speaker Prospero Nograles, and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim in the next two days.
Liu?s Manila visit is part of a goodwill trip to several Southeast Asian countries. Manila is the second leg of Liu?s four-nation visit. He first went to Cambodia and would later go to Malaysia and Indonesia.
The Philippine News Agency quoted the Chinese embassy?s deputy political secretary and spokesman, Ethan Sun Yi, saying that the visit will ?spearhead another round of high-level exchanges? between the two countries.
The online edition of the Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency said Liu and his delegation are guests of the administration party Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats of the Philippines.
Liu, 66, is the ?first-in-charge? of Beijing. As the party?s top official in Beijing, he is more powerful than the mayor, a position he occupied from 1999-2003.
The political bureau or politburo oversees the party, and bureau members are nominally appointed by the central committee, the highest authority in the party.
Liu headed the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
