PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday said he intends bring back to the Philippines a “harvest of agreements and investments” from his three-day state visit to China as he aims to strengthen strategic cooperation between Manila and Beijing and discuss “political-security issues of a bilateral and regional nature” with his Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The President and his delegation left yesterday afternoon and arrived in Beijing at 6:10 p.m.
Vice President Sara Duterte, concurrent Education secretary, heads the caretaker committee of the executive branch while Marcos is abroad for the January 3-5 state visit.
The President, in his departure speech, emphasized the importance of the visit, amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in China. He said will pursue initiatives in key areas such as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and trade and investment as parts of efforts to strengthen cooperation between Manila and Beijing.
“I will be opening a new chapter in our comprehensive strategic cooperation with China. We will seek to foster meaningful relation and broaden our cooperation in various areas such as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, science and technology, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges, among others,” Marcos said.
He said he is also looking forward to his meeting with Xi, during which he intends to discuss some “political-security issues of a bilateral and regional nature” in a bid to resolve problems in a friendly manner and ensure that it would be beneficial to both countries.
He did not mention tension with China in the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea which is being claimed entirely by China. The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam claim parts of the South China Sea where about $3 trillion in ship-borne trade passes annually.
The area is becoming a flashpoint for Chinese and US tensions around naval operations.
Marcos has vowed he would not lose an inch of Philippine territory to any foreign power, drawing cheers from advocates of a 2016 arbitral ruling invalidating China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
In his departure speech, Marcos said, “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 the peace and development to the peoples of both our countries.”
“The issues between our two countries are problems that do not belong between two friends such as the Philippines and China,” he said.
“We will seek to resolve those issues to the mutual benefit of our two countries,” he added.
CHINESE ACTIVITIES
It will be the second face-to-face meeting between Marcos and Xi after their November meeting in Thailand, and comes as the Philippines has raised concerns over reported Chinese construction activities and the “swarming” of Beijing’s vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea.
Last week, a foreign department official said talks with Xi would include China’s actions in the South China Sea.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Friday did not mention the South China Sea but said the visit “will focus on an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common concern.”
It will promote cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, energy and culture to create a “golden era,” Wang said.
Analysts expect Marcos to use the trip to help rebalance his country’s foreign policy, which under previous leader Rodrigo Duterte moved closer to China and away from the United States.
While the Philippines is a defence ally of the United States, under Duterte it set aside a territorial spat over the South China Sea in exchange for Chinese investment.
Since Marcos, the son of the late strongman who fled into exile in Hawaii during a 1986 “people power” uprising, came into office, he has twice met with US President Joe Biden abroad.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris also visited the Southeast Asian country last year and assured Manila that Washington would defend the Philippines if it were attacked in the South China Sea.
Marcos is clearly “inching away from the extreme pivot to China,” Renato Cruz De Castro, an international affairs analyst at De La Salle University in Manila, said.
But while De Castro expects the South China Sea issue to be brought up, he does not expect Beijing to alter its position.
“At the end of the day, China’s goal is to force us to accept the fait accompli, that they will be operating within our exclusive economic zone,” De Castro said.
TRADE PARTNER
The President acknowledged China as a major trade partner of the Philippines, a major source of official development assistance (ODA), and the second largest source of tourists.
Marcos also recognized China’s assistance in the Philippines’ effort to address COVID-19 particularly in terms of supplying vaccines and personal protective equipment and providing technical assistance.
He said that while there have been over 100 agreements already forged between the Philippines and China, at least 10 key bilateral agreements are still expected to be signed during his visit.
He said that while he is in Beijing, he will seize the opportunity to strengthen the vibrant trade and investment relations with China as the Philippines accelerates economic post-pandemic growth and pursues initiatives to ensure food security, sufficient and stable energy, and sustainable digital economy.
The President said he will also invite the Chinese back to visit the Philippines as investors, tourists and students as he pushes for the resumption of tourism and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
“Aside from sharing the wonders of our archipelago to our Chinese friends, strengthened people-to-people exchanges will allow us to bridge gaps in understanding between the two countries at all levels,” Marcos added.
The President recalled that he first visited China in 1976, when he accompanied his mother, then First Lady Imelda Marcos who laid the groundwork for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Manila and Beijing.
Marcos said his latest trip will be a continuation and will strengthen the legacy and bonds of friendship that started during his father’s time. — With Reuters
