Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will pay a four-day state visit to China from Oct 18, bringing along a 250-member business delegation, and a number of deals are expected to be signed.

The visit, Duterte's first outside Southeast Asia since he became president in June, was announced by China's Foreign Ministry on Oct 12.

It will also be the first state visit by a Philippine leader for five years, during which time maritime disputes soured bilateral ties under Duterte's predecessor.

Philippine Trade Undersecretary Nora Terrado, who told Reuters that initially only about two dozen Philippine entrepreneurs were to accompany Duterte to China, said the number had ballooned to about 250.

Experts said the visit, scheduled for Oct 18 to 21, will be a milestone that might open a new chapter in Beijing-Manila relations, as well as the South China Sea issue.

Ties between Beijing and Manila had been chilly for a few years. Former president Benigno Aquino IIIplayed up the dispute on the international stage and refused to hold direct talks.

Duterte, unlike his predecessor, has said he wants stronger ties with China to gain funding for development projects and has kept a cool head on the dispute, said Wu Shicun, a South China Sea expert.

It is hoped that the visit will put bilateral ties "back on the track of being healthy and stable", ForeignMinistry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

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