Cabinet officials, Go to join Duterte in Asean-China Special Summit

President Rodrigo Duterte (File photo by ACE MORANDANTE / Presidential Photographers Divsion)

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)-China Special Summit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the dialogue relations, Malacañang said in a statement on Saturday.

Duterte and his fellow Asean chief executives were invited by President Xi Jin Ping of the People’s Republic of China to join the summit on Nov. 22.

Duterte will join the summit via video conference.

“[T]he President will join his ASEAN counterparts to take stock of the achievements of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations over the past three decades and chart the future of the partnership for the next 30 years,” the Palace said.

Duterte will be joined by Sen. Christopher Go and several of his Cabinet members — namely Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, Presidential Assistant for Foreign Affairs Robert E.A. Borje, and Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Luzviminda Ilagan.

Malacañang said that Duterte would articulate the country’s positions on key areas of cooperation and other regional issues.

Xi and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, who is the Asean chair for 2021, will co-chair the special summit.

ATM