China lauds Duterte’s peaceful efforts

MANILA – Chinese President Xi Jinping lauded former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte for his role in keeping friendly relations between the two countries.

Xi said that while being president of the Philippines, Duterte resolutely made the strategic choice of improving relations with China, with an attitude of being responsible to the people and history. He said during Duterte’s presidency, China-Philippines relations were able to return to the right track and prosper, a demonstration of the important contributions Duterte made to friendly exchanges between the two countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, July 17, 2023. (Xinhua / Yin Bogu)

oting that China and the Philippines are both developing countries in Asia, Xi said the development of the two countries is rooted in the good-neighborly and friendly peripheral environment and the Asian family of win-win cooperation.

He also expressed the hope that Duterte will continue to play an important role in the friendly cooperation between the two countries.

Thanking China for its valuable support to the Philippines' economic and social development, Duterte – who met with Xi recently at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing - said that developing friendly relations between the two countries serves the interests of the two peoples and conforms to the aspiration of the majority of the Philippine people.

Duterte promised to continue contributing to promoting bilateral friendship.

Xi said China upholds the policy of neighborhood diplomacy featuring amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and has always been committed to forging friendship and partnership with its neighbors.

“China always attaches importance to China-Philippines relations and is willing to work with the Philippines to promote the steady and long-term development of their relations,” Xi said.

China trade

Huang Xilian, China’s ambassador to the Philippines, said China's foreign trade reaches a historic high in the first half of 2023. Up by 2.1% year-on-year, he said China's foreign trade in goods reached a record high of 20.1 trillion yuan ($2.8 trillion) in the first half of 2023.

He said China's continued cooperation with many emerging markets, including ASEAN and the Philippines, resulted in the country's steady growth and improved trade quality in the first half of the year. 

“Trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China's largest trading partner, came to 3.08 trillion yuan, up by 5.4 percent year-on-year, accounting for 15.3 percent of total foreign trade. During the same period, trade with RCEP partners, which the Philippines is also part of, grew by 1.5 percent,” Huang said. 

“The record numbers not only show the nation's economic growth but also its resilience amidst many uncertainties in the dynamic international landscape. China's upward trajectory in foreign trade is a testament to the nation's commitment to openness and multilateralism. And with this growth, I hope we see greater benefits for China-Philippine cooperation,” he added. 

Economic cooperation 

Huang said just this month, the two countries launched the “China (Zhangzhou)-Philippines Joint Cooperation Zone for Economic Innovative Development” (Two Countries, Twin Parks). The event, he said, is aimed at implementing the consensus reached by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Xi early this year on promoting innovative trade and economic cooperation in agreed locations. 

“Valuable support from DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), firm collaboration between Zhangzhou City and its counterparts in the Philippines, and active participation of entrepreneurs are so necessary and important for the success of the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” cooperation. Let’s work together to realize the cooperation, further our bilateral economic ties and better benefit our peoples,” he said. 

The event was attended by DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual and his assistant Glenn Peñaranda, Mayor of Zhangzhou Wang Jinzu, Special Envoy Maynard Ngu, and AFAB (Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan) Chairman Pablo Gancayco. (Xinhua and The Mindanao Examiner)