BEIJING, June 30-- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a message to new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to congratulate him for his inauguration as the 16th head of state of the Republic of the Philippines.

In the congratulatory message, Xi said that he is willing to work with Duterte to push for improvement of relations between their two countries.

Hailing China and the Philippines as each other's neighbor that cannot be moved away, Xi said good-neighborliness and friendship is a historical inheritance for the thousands-year-long history of China-Philippine relations, which is also a right direction that must be insisted in the development of bilateral ties.

Today, China and the Philippines face important opportunities in the development of bilateral relations, Xi noted, saying that he is willing to make joint efforts with Duterte to promote relations between China and the Philippines toward improvement and realization of healthy and stable development.

Xi further noted that he believes that as long as the two sides uphold sincerity and goodwill while adhering to mutual trust and cooperation, they will definitely be able to usher in a beautiful future of bilateral ties and cooperation.

Duterte was sworn in as the 16th president of the Republic of the Philippines earlier Thursday.