MANILA – A panel of the powerful Commission on Appointments on Tuesday recommended for approval in the plenary the nomination of Jose Santiago “Chito” Sta. Romana, who was tapped by President Rodrigo Duterte to become the country’s ambassador to China.

Sta. Romana, an award-winning journalist who had been based in China, told lawmakers he will continue Duterte's diplomatic track with China.

His appointment comes at a time relations between the Philippines and China are warming following Duterte’s high-profile visit to China in October.

Duterte has sought to improve ties with China and has chosen to set aside Manila’s South China Sea arbitration victory over China.

Sta. Romana, who served as the Beijing bureau chief of ABC News, lived and worked in China from 1989 until his retirement in 2010.

During that time, he covered major stories in China such as the Tiananmen protests in 1989 and the crisis in US-China relations in 1999 and 2001. He is the winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award and an Emmy award in the news and documentary category.

Sta. Romana was scheduled to face the plenary on Tuesday afternoon for the confirmation of his appointment.

Three other nominees faced the CA panel today, namely Jose Laurel V as Ambassador To Japan, Uriel Normal Robles Garibay as Ambassador to Kenya, and Shirley Ho-Vicario as Ambassador to Nigeria.