Philippines truce with Chinese ambassador

The Philippines and China have agreed to end a quarrel over diplomatic etiquette that had threatened to overshadow a Chinese ministerial visit.

The Justice Minister of the Philippines, Hernando Perez, had demanded the expulsion of China's ambassador.

He said the diplomat had been rude to him to during a meeting, shouting and pounding a table.

Just hours before the start of a visit by Chinese Defence Minister Chi Haotian, the two men shook hands in front of television cameras and declared they were friends again.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service