Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Tuesday that "China plays a very positive role" in the region, and the Philippines is proud of its relationship with China.

Cayetano made the comment when asked about China's ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a press conference Tuesday afternoon in Manila.

"China has shown economic strength .... in the last decades, its economy has also fueled our growth in ASEAN, tourism from China, manufacturing, the infrastructure projects," he said.

Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN's founding. The Philippines takes the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN this year.

In regard to the South China Sea situation, Cayetano said "all the positive sides China has given to the relationship with ASEAN will not be disturbed" because of the disputes there.

"We do not allow this to disturb our good relationships," he said.

On China-Philippines ties, he said, "There is no shame having good relations with any state, even if there are disagreements".

"So we are proud of our relationship with China," he added.