PH, China Hold Diplomatic Anniversary Talks to Reaffirm 46 years of Relations
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Chongqing on 07 June 2021. (Photo courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China)
CHONGQING 14 June 2021 — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held bilateral talks in Chongqing, China, at the sidelines of the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the eve of the two countries’ 46th diplomatic anniversary on 09 June 2021.
The two top diplomats acknowledged the great strides achieved in the last 46 years of official ties, especially in the areas of trade, tourism, development assistance, infrastructure, and overall diplomatic and political relations. China, according to Locsin, had become a key economic partner of the Philippines, becoming the country’s largest trading partner and third largest export and tourism market in 2020.
The Philippines and China also agreed to further intensify vaccine cooperation, China’s participation in the Philippines’ Build, Build, Build Program, and closer engagement within the ASEAN-China dialogue mechanism currently led by the Philippines as country coordinator.
Amid the pandemic, Secretary Locsin thanked China for the timely provision of a steady supply of vaccines as the Philippines accelerates its vaccination program. Foreign Minister Wang gave assurance that China would continue to give priority to the Philippines despite the tightening global supply of vaccines.
Secretary Locsin also highlighted the important role China will play in the global economic recovery, stating that “There can be no swift recovery without China’s leading economic role, in partnership with countries in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.”
On the South China Sea issue, both sides welcomed the progress in negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and reaffirmed the importance of self-restraint and the peaceful resolution of differences within the framework of international law, especially 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
As the two countries approach half a century of partnership, both ministers looked forward to a further expansion of Philippines-China ties in the context of regional peace and stability. END
