PH Consul General Accentuates Long Ties and Bountiful Prospects with Shanghai in Jiefang Interview
Screengrab of Jiefang Daily/Shanghai Observer’s online story on the interview with Consul General Ignacio (credit: Jiefang Daily/Shanghai Observer)
SHANGHAI 06 November 2023– Philippine Consul General in Shanghai Josel F. Ignacio cast the spotlight on the Philippines’ long-standing and economically rewarding bonds with Shanghai, in a recently featured interview with the Metropolis’ leading broadsheet, Jiefang Daily (解放日报) on 30 October 2023.
Dating back to 1949, Jiefang is the official newspaper of the Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China. It is published by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, with a circulation of 700,000 daily, Shanghai’s largest.
During the two-hour interview, Consul General Ignacio underscored the considerable weight exerted by Shanghai in overall Philippine-China relations. “Shanghai, a municipality, accounted last year for 35.11% or USD 12.95B of all Philippine trade with China -- second only to Guangdong, an entire province”, he touted.
The Consul General expects this share to climb even higher under the facilitative environment under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and as the Philippines intensifies exports to – and through – Shanghai. “Shanghai is a huge market”, he highlighted. “But it is also a strategic entry point by air and sea for our products bound for the larger Chinese market, and beyond that, possibly even to Central Asia.”
Consul General Ignacio also impressed upon Jiefang’s readers the Philippines’ early display of confidence in the just-opening China of the 1990s, via companies such as Liwayway China Co. Ltd. (Oishi) and Metrobank China. “Their entry encouraged other foreign MNCs to similarly venture into Shanghai.”
Over the course of the interview, the Consul General also shared his positive impressions of the city; the vibrant community of talented Filipinos; and the Philippines’ targets for the upcoming 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) on 05-10 November 2023.
The interview was preceded by a photoshoot for an accompanying video feature. For the venue, Consul General Ignacio opted for two buildings in the former International Settlement that originally housed the Philippine Consulate General: the Palace Hotel in 1948, and the Hamilton House in 1949.
The feature was part of the paper’s “conversation” series featuring select Consuls General from Shanghai’s 77-misison strong corps of consular missions. Mr. Ignacio became the first Philippine Consul General to be so featured by Jiefang Daily. END
Jiefang Daily’s 30 October article featuring its interview with Consul General Ignacio (credit: Jiefang Daily/Shanghai Observer)
Consul General Ignacio with Jiefang Daily’s Team. (Shangha PCG photo)
For more information, visit http://shanghaipcg.dfa.gov.ph/.