President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday received Chongqing party chief Chen Min’er and other members of Communist Party of China (CPC) in a courtesy call in Malacañang.

The President welcomed Chen and the CPC members in a tête-à-tête at the Palace’s Music Room.

A protégé of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chen is seen as a rising political star in China. He became the Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing two years ago and also joined the 25-member Politburo, the CPC’s top decision-making body.

Chongqing is one of China’s leading cities and is typically lead by a party secretary from the Chinese Politburo.

Chen also served as the head of the provincial department of propaganda and vice governor of Zhejiang province. He became Guizhou’s governor in 2013 before being promoted as provincial communist party secretary.

Accompanying Secretary Chen were Ambassador of China to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua, Vice Minister of the International Department-CPC Central Committee (IDCPC) Guo Yezhou, Executive Vice Mayor of Chongqing Municipal People’s Government and Secretary General of CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee Wang Fu.

The Filipino officials present were Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) President Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, Department of Energy Secretary and PDP-Laban Vice Chairman Alfonso Cusi, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority Secretary and PDP-Laban Vice President for International Affairs Raul Lambino, Department of Foreign Affairs Acting Secretary Jose Eduardo Malaya III, and Senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Francis Tolentino. PND