Philippine envoy who turned around ties with China dies at 74

Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana, who had the most difficult diplomatic job but was instrumental in pulling bilateral relations back from the brink, has died in the central Chinese province of Anhui, a family member and the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. He was 74.

Mr Romana, better known as "Chito", died on Monday evening in a quarantine hotel in Huangshan, a popular scenic spot, where he and Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr had met China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on April 3.