CEBU, the Philippines, Jan. 12 (Xinhua)-- Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said here Friday that Cebu's tourism industry got a boost from visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing who described Cebu as a "Unique corner of Paradise."

    At a news briefing, Romulo said that Chinese Foreign Minister Li made the comment during the ministerial meeting between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China. China is a dialogue partner of the ASEAN, along with Australia, Japan, India, Republic of Korea and New Zealand.

    He said that Li's comment was "significant and welcome" since it came from an official of a country that has one of the largest numbers of global tourists, owing to its remarkable economic growth.

    According to Romulo, Because of the Cebu summits, the number of flights to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport have increased by almost 6 percent after local companies increased operations in theregion.

    He said that the number of passengers passing through the airport has also increased by 14 percent.

    "By hosting the summit meetings, we were able to bring to the world the beauty of Cebu as a tourist destination and as a convention venue", said Romlo.

    Cube City is the hub of trade and commerce in the South of the country, given its strategic location in the heart of the Philippine archipelago. It is also the most progressive city.