MANILA, Philippines — As the Philippines marked 45 years of diplomatic relations with China, President Duterte reiterated Manila’s commitment to pursue stronger ties with Beijing.
“China is a close neighbor and valued friend. As we look ahead to the golden jubilee of our diplomatic ties, I assure Your Excellency of our firm commitment to preserve and build on the gains of our close partnership for greater peace, progress and prosperity for our nations,” Duterte said in a one-page letter sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Chinese embassy in Manila released to the media Duterte’s letter dated June 9.
Duterte, who has chartered an independent foreign policy friendlier to China since 2016, described the celebration of diplomatic ties as a milestone, not only because of the renewed commitment in diplomatic relations, but also in forging partnerships in the time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
“Our milestone today is an auspicious time to reaffirm our shared aspirations and the principles we have committed to uphold as enshrined in our Joint Comminique 45 years ago,” the President said.
“These same sacrosanct principles for peaceful co-existence and mutually beneficial cooperations will remain our lodestar, as we continue to work together as partners under our Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation,” he added.
Duterte underscored the need for the two countries to work together, especially now that there is a global health crisis.
“As the entire world continues to face challenges to security and stability and the rule of law, and with the rise of non-traditional and emerging threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic, further strengthening the Philippine-China partnership takes on even greater significance,” he said.
“We must forge on and ensure that the potential of our special ties be fully realized,” he added.
At the start of his letter, Duterte conveyed his “warmest felicitations” to the Chinese leader. He recalled how the two countries forged diplomatic ties in 1975 by pursuing “peaceful and friendly cooperation strongly anchored on the centuries-old bonds of amity and kinship between the Filipino and Chinese people.”
‘Renaissance’
Malacañang yesterday feted the 45th anniversary of Philippine-China diplomatic relations and the 19th Philippine-China Friendship Day, which has become a “renaissance” during the Duterte administration.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said he remains optimistic that Manila and Beijing will be able to resolve disputes in the near future, without dwelling on the issue of the South China Sea.
“We hope that this renaissance will lead to better relations resolving all the disputes that we have between our two countries, increase economic ties, increase prosperity for both Philippines and China,” he said.
Confident
The Philippines is confident of seeing friendship with China continue to grow and bridge gaps.
In a letter to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-China diplomatic relations, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the relations between the two countries have thrived, marked by maturing political, economic and functional engagement bilaterally and within regional frameworks.
“I am confident that the coming years will see our countries continue to grow in friendship, bridging gaps, cooperating for mutual benefit and prospering in tandem,” Locsin said.
On Tuesday, Locsin highlighted the role of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China, as he called former first lady Imelda Marcos an “icon” of Chinese womanhood.
The anniversary also marked one year since the ramming and sinking of Philippine fishing boat Gem-Ver by a Chinese ship near Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea.
“There has never been a break in the friendship” and it has not cooled despite the “differences,” according to Locsin.
The foreign affairs chief noted that China was among the first to recognize the Philippines’ restored democracy and its elected government.
“The feeling of warm friendship has not cooled let alone been lost, not even in our differences,” he added.
‘Two-way street’
Former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario said yesterday “friendship is a two-way street,” referring to Philippines-China relations.
Del Rosario told CNN: “Even as now, with full accommodation granted to Beijing by our government, we continue to be faced with unlawful actions from our northern neighbor, a modern-day goliath, whose intentions and activities are to force a doctrine of dominance and control on our region and beyond.”
He lamented that “over the last few years, we have not seen the change that we would have wanted from Beijing,” adding that China’s “aggressive actions are not accidental” but “intentional, and they can be expected to continue into the future.”
President Xi’s “threat of war against the Philippines shows how their leadership perceives us.”