Duterte’s 4th trip to China set for next month

President Duterte will visit China again next month, his fourth in less than three years.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Thursday that Duterte would attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in April.

Mutually beneficial

In a statement, the DFA said Foreign Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. discussed the President’s participation in the forum to revive the ancient trading route between Asia and Europe during his bilateral meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday.

In a joint press conference after the meeting, Locsin said he and Wang agreed to set aside “differences we have yet to resolve” to pursue a “mutually beneficial relationship.”

He also assured China that “the Philippines will look out for your people in my country as I have seen China look out for our people in yours.”

Influx of Chinese workers

Locsin issued the statement amid concerns at home about the influx of Chinese illegal workers in the Philippines and the involvement of Chinese nationals in the illegal drug trade in the country. —DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN