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MANILA, Nov. 15-- China and the Philippines on Wednesday signed 14 cooperation deals as leaders of the two countries pledged to strengthen "positive momentum" in bilateral relations. After meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told the press in the Philippine capital of Manila that the Chinese-Philippine relations have improved and both sides hope to "work together to make up for the time that we might have lost." Li is the first Chinese premier to pay an official visit to the Philippines in a decade. He came to the Philippines at a time when the bilateral ties are warming up, a development that has continued since Duterte came to office last year. Li said Duterte's visit to China in October last year was an "ice-breaker" and he has come this time to carry forward the traditional friendship. The two leaders witnessed the signing of the 14 cooperation agreements on infrastructure financing, bridge construction, bond issuance, drug rehabilitation, climate change, intellectual property protection, industrial capacity cooperation. The leaders also announced the start of work for two river bridges in Manila and two drug rehabilitation centers in Mindanao, south of the Philippines. Construction of the bridges will begin in 2018 and takes two and a half years to complete, officials said. The bridges will help ease Manila's severe traffic jams. | 
