Mr. Marcos says state visit to bring PH-China relations ‘to higher gear’
Beijing—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping today where he will raise “political-security issues,” including the South China Sea situation.
“I look forward to my meeting with President Xi as we work towards shifting the trajectory of our relations to a higher gear that would hopefully bring numerous prospects and abundant opportunities for peace and development to the peoples of both our countries,” Mr. Marcos said in his pre-departure speech yesterday.
“I also look forward to discussing political-security issues of a bilateral and regional nature. The issues between our two countries are problems that do not belong between two friends such as the Philippines and China. We will seek to resolve those issues to the mutual benefit of our countries,” he added.
Mr. Marcos arrived in Beijing last night for a three-day state visit until Jan. 5, his first outside Southeast Asia upon the invitation of Xi.
The President expressed confidence his visit will open “a new chapter in our Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation with China.”
“We will seek to foster meaningful relations and broaden our cooperation in various areas such as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, science and technology, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges, amongst others,” he said.
“I hope to return home to the Philippines with a harvest of agreements and investments that will benefit our countrymen and further strengthen the foundation of our economic environment,” Mr. Marcos added.
Mr. Marcos pushed through with the state visit despite the current spike of COVID-19 cases in China as the host government ensured that “bubble” arrangements were made to guarantee his and the entire Philippine delegation’s safety.
President Marcos is also set to meet Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, today at the Shanghai Hall of the Great Hall of the People (GHP).
He is also slated to meet with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the West Hall of the GHP before he is accorded a welcoming ceremony by President Xi, whom he first met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, Thailand last November 17.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will sign three agreements with the Chinese government during the state visit, DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said.
Manalo is expected to sign the Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative; the Memorandum of Understanding on Communication Mechanism on Maritime Issues; and the Joint Action Plan on Agricultural and Fisheries Cooperation, on behalf of the Department of Agriculture.
DFA Assistant Secretary for Asia and Pacific Affairs Nathaniel Imperial earlier said renewing the Philippine agreement to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative, as well as establishing a “hotline” to handle South China Sea concerns, are expected to be delivered during the visit.
The hotline, which will link the foreign ministries of the two countries, aims to avoid “miscalculation and miscommunication” in the contested waters of the South China Sea, Imperial added.
More than 10 key bilateral agreements are expected to be signed during President Marcos’ visit, in addition to over 100 agreements already forged by the country with China.
The Chief Executive is joined by key private sector representatives “who have been and will continue to be the government’s partners in boosting the economy” that it tries to accelerate post-pandemic.
Before assuming the presidency, Mr. Marcos said in a speech on June 10 that China is the Philippines’ “strongest partner” and that he sees the future of the two countries “developing in many ways.”
The President, however, swore to protect national sovereignty by speaking to Beijing “with a firm voice” on the maritime dispute in the South China Sea.
Marcos earlier told Chinese officials on the sidelines of ASEAN Summit in Cambodia to uphold international law and follow the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) regarding areas of the South China Sea, as he gave importance to the impact of trade that flows through the vital waterway.