‘Philippines, China enjoying best of relationship’

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and China are enjoying “the best” of relationships, President Duterte told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last Sunday.

“We are enjoying the best of our relationship. I’d like to assure the foreign minister that the Philippines is very happy with our present trade and whatever agricultural consciousness of our race and the fact that you have provided livelihood at least to a lot of people if you think about the importations that you have allowed my country,” the President said in remarks before guests at the birthday party in Davao City for former foreign affairs chief Alan Peter Cayetano. Wang was among the guests.

“We have normalized our relationship and I thank you China for all the things that you have done for me. And may I just also remind you that here in Davao we have the largest Chinese community,” he said.

Duterte said China has practically told the world that it is accepting any Philippine product.

He also joked that he would have asked China to provide the Philippines with helicopters had Jordan withdrawn its offer because of his rift with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, a cousin of Jordanian King Abdullah II. The UN official had criticized the killing of thousands in Duterte’s war on illegal drugs.

“I said, ‘No problem, I’ll ask one dozen from China. I’m sure they will give it to us any time.’ They can always give us a facility or whatever... Maybe you can allow us, your excellency, in a long term? Maybe payable – I’m sure our friendship will enjoy for maybe a thousand years,” Duterte said.

“So if you can grant us a facility, a loan payable within 100 years, I’m sure you will. Like you, I do not like this European… they are imposing their values copied by the other nations.”

Meanwhile, preparations for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the country are in full swing, with officials of both countries ironing out details of several agreements to be signed during the visit – the eighth for a Chinese leader.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and minister Wang led their respective countries in discussing the agreements on loan and guarantee accords, economic and technical cooperation, support for feasibility studies on infrastructure projects and promoting cooperation on key “Build, Build, Build” projects in Mindanao. 

Dominguez described the meeting with Wang in Davao City yesterday as a “productive dialogue” that is expected to “continue expanding the mutually beneficial economic, trade and investment cooperation” between the two countries.

Also yesterday at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City, Philippine and Chinese officials signed three agreements on the exchange of letters for a feasibility study on the Davao River Bridge (Bucana) Project, Beijing’s granting of RMB 50 million for the supply of law enforcement materials and equipment, a $1-million grant assistance from China for the victims of Typhoon Vinta in 2017.

Wang, meanwhile, also met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who noted the positive direction of Philippine-China maritime cooperation.

“We sat down this morning with senior officials to take stock of what we have accomplished thus far; to discuss how to further advance our bilateral cooperation,” Locsin told reporters at a joint press briefing with Wang. – With Pia Lee-Brago