BEIJING - Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario arrived in the Chinese capital on Thursday morning, beginning a two-day visit that is expected to help find diplomatic means to resolve South China Sea disputes.

He is scheduled to meet Vice-President Xi Jinping and hold talks with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Friday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the two sides would exchange views on enhancing high-level communications and bilateral ties.

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Del Rosario said the two sides would discuss a wide range of topics including the South China Sea, "although this particular issue is not the sum total of the Philippines' relations with China."

The visit by Manila's top diplomat is also regarded as paving the way for Philippine President Benigno Aquino's China visit, which is likely to take place in late August or early September.

Beijing and Manila have signed more than 100 agreements over the past 36 years of diplomatic relations, but tensions have escalated in recent weeks over the South China Sea issue.

Zhang Jie, head of the department of security and foreign relations of the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said a visit at this sensitive time might help ease the tense situation.

The "broad range" of the topics to be discussed during del Rasario's visit "aim to stress the comprehensiveness of Sino-Philippine relations", said Zhang, adding that economic and trade ties between China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations have a great influence on political stability.

Zhang said it is important to find a solution as soon as possible to the South China Sea issue to avoid further damage if "national sentiments" continue to be incited.

Zhang added that both China and the Philippines benefited from bilateral cooperation in areas such as marine environmental protection, fighting piracy and other non-traditional security issues.

"This will not be a zero-sum game. Bilateral relations will be improved with enhanced cooperation and increased mutual trust," Zhang said.

In another development, Hong told a regular news briefing on Thursday that during the recent meetings between the Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers, China once again stated its basic principles and reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

Yang told his Japanese counterpart Takeaki Matsumoto that shipping lanes remain freely navigable in the waters surrounding China and Japan, as well as in adjacent waters near the Asian continent, Hong said.

He said Japan, being one of the major beneficiaries of free navigation in the South China Sea, is clear about the situation in relevant sea areas.

China has always insisted on resolving disputes with other countries in the South China Sea through bilateral negotiations.