Vice President Sara Duterte met with Zhao Long, the Governor of Fujian Province in China while in Davao City last Thursday, September 28, 2023. Photo. from Inday Sara Duterte Facebook.
MANILA, Philippines — Vice president Sara Duterte on Friday said that she had met with Zhao Long, the Governor of Fujian Province in China.
According to Duterte’s Facebook post, Zhao had also met with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte and her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, while the Chinese official was in Davao City on Thursday.
Sara Duterte however, did not elaborate on what her father and the Chinese governor have discussed.
“Nakipagkita rin si Gov. Zhao kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte,” she said curtly in a Facebook post.
(Gov. Zhao met also with former President Rodrigo Duterte.)
The Vice President said that Zhao was in Davao City to deliver good news.
“Mainit nating tinanggap si Hon. Zhao Long, Governor ng Fujian Province ng People’s Republic of China, kahapon ng hapon dito sa Davao City. Kasama si Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, nagpaabot ako ng aking pasasalamat kay Gov. Zhao sa dalawang good news na dala ng kanyang byahe sa siyudad,” Sara Duterte said.
(We warmly accepted the Hon. Zhao Long, the Governor of Fujian Province of the People’s Republic of China, yesterday afternoon here in Davao City. Together with Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, Gov. Zhao delivered two pieces of good news during his trip to the city.)
Sara Duterte said that the first good news was the renewal of the Sister City Agreement between Davao City and Jinjiang City of Fujian Province, which stemmed from her term as Davao City Mayor in 2018.
“Pangalawa, ang matagumpay na unang pagpapadala ng Davao City ng durian bilang export product sa China. Ang negosasyon dito ay nagsimula din sa ilalim ng aking administrasyon bilang mayor sa tulong ng Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Davao,” said Duterte.
(The second, the successful delivery of Davao City’s export of Durian in China. This negotiation began during my administration as mayor with the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Davao.)
This meeting between the Dutertes and China comes in the midst of rising territorial tensions with the powerhouse country in the West Philippine Sea.
While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had emphasized maintaining good relationships with all countries, he has repeatedly asserted the Philippines’ territorial claim against China.