OPENING REMARKS
BY
H.E. ENRIQUE A. MANALO
SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
AT THE BILATERAL MEETING WITH
H.E. QIN GANG
STATE COUNCILOR AND FOREIGN MINISTER
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
22 April 2023, Manila, Philippines
I am very pleased to welcome you, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang to Manila in our first face-to-face meeting to continue the momentum of strengthening the relationship between our two countries.
We meet coming from a strong beginning for this year, with the successful State Visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to China, and I continue to believe that this year bodes well for Philippines-China relations.
We have started to implement the consensus of our Presidents by immediately following the visit of the President with the back-to-back meetings of the 23rd Foreign Ministry Consultations and 7th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea just a month ago. We note China’s readiness to host the 8th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism in China later this year.
Already, there have been significant developments since those last meetings, demonstrating not only the vibrancy but the depth and breadth of our relations. There is, of course, much work that needs to be done, especially as we look forward to prepare and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Philippines-China diplomatic relations in 2025.
Together, let us endeavor to elevate our bilateral relations to even greater heights under the administration of President Marcos, who shared the commitment with President Xi “to do everything possible to ensure that the Philippines and China will continue the positive trajectory of our relations which has been elevated to that of Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation since 2018.”
Our leaders have agreed that our differences in the West Philippine Sea are not the sum total of our relations. These differences should not prevent us from seeking ways of managing them effectively, especially with respect to the enjoyment of rights of Filipinos, especially our fisherfolk whose livelihood and general wellbeing are undermined by incidents and actions in the West Philippine Sea.
China has remained the Philippines’ top trading partner over the past few years, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. I intend to work closely with Your Excellency in further strengthening these economic ties, starting with the further diversification of our economic relations and closing of the trade gap between our two economies.
I was pleased to learn that the investment pledges worth USD22.8 billion made during the state visit are slowly being realized.
Our cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure development, energy, and science and technology are important elements of our bilateral economic ties. The revival of tourism, resumption of flights, and the exchanges of students, teachers, and workers will further strengthen our people-to-people linkages. These would all support the Philippines’ 8-point economic agenda to improve the lives of Filipinos, and likewise benefit our friends from China.
I hope that today’s meeting would give us an opportunity to follow through on the plans and gains made from our countries’ recent high level interactions and make some headway in addressing common issues and challenges.
Once again, welcome, Mr. Minister. Thank you. END