Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, before the meeting at the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Pool photo by KENZABURO FUKUHARA via AP)
MANILA, Philippines — The charge d’affaires ad interim of China, Tan Qingsheng, said on Monday that his country’s relationship with the Philippines “entered a new golden age” when President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016.
Tan said this following the celebration of Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day last Sunday, June 9.
He noted that the friendship between the two countries dated back to more than a thousand years ago where the two countries were developing social and commercial ties.
“The long-lasting friendship between our two peoples in the past paved the way for the continuous growth of bilateral ties in present days and days to come,” Tan said at the dinner celebration for the 121st Independence Day of the Republic of the Philippines and the 18th China-Philippines Friendship Day at the PICC.
“Since President Duterte took office in 2016, under the strategic guidance of our two leaders, China-Philippines relations have witnessed turnaround, consolidation, and elevation, and entered a new golden age,” Tan added.
During the event, Tan underscored the relations between the two countries, noting that President Duterte and President Xi Jinping met seven times over the last three years.
“Our strategic coordination on bilateral and international affairs has been greatly reinforced. For the past three years, President Xi Jinping and President Duterte have met for 7 times,” Tan said, citing Xi Jinping’s visit in the Philippines in November 2018 and Duterte’s recent visit to China for the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
Tan also noted the cooperation between the two countries that resulted in “tangible benefits” for both Chinese and Filipinos.
“In 2018, bilateral trade volume reached US$55.7 billion, with an 8.5 percent year-on-year increase. China is now the Philippines’ top trading partner, the largest source of imports and the fourth largest export market,” Tan said.
Tan added that China has also become the biggest overseas market for Philippine bananas.
The Chinese envoy also highlighted its role in the Philippine government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed,” Tan said.
Tan also took note of the people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, adding that China was now the second largest tourist origin of the Philippines.
“We are expecting more than 1.5 million Chinese tourists to visit the Philippines this year, which will create more than 32 billion pesos of revenue for the local economy,” Tan said.
“Both sides are working to implement the MOU for two thousand Filipino English-language teachers to work in China this coming September. China is going to set up a Cultural Center in Manila in the coming years so as to enable more Filipino friends to better understand and experience Chinese culture,” Tan added.
Ending his speech, Tan assured that China would “continue to be the Philippines’ good neighbor, sincere friend, and reliable partner.”
“Let’s join hands to level up cooperation, coordination, and connectivity between our two countries, so as to make the Golden Age of bilateral relations even brighter,” Tan said.
(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)