Chinese foreign minister to visit Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit the Philippines next week as part of his upcoming trip to various countries in Southeast Asia.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Friday announced that Wang would pay an official visit to Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia as well as chair the seventh Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Myanmar.

Wang will also attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Indonesia on July 7-8 as well as chair several meetings with high-level delegations from Vietnam and Cambodia in Guangxi, China.

Details of Wang’s visit to Manila have yet to be released, but he is expected to meet with newly appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.

“Through this visit, China hopes to deepen strategic communication with the four Southeast Asian countries, work for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, strive to build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home, inject new impetus into and foster new highlights in bilateral relations and get the China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Comprehensive Strategic Partnership off to a good start,” Zhao said.

“The Chinese side will also work in concert with Southeast Asian nations to advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, boost economic recovery, uphold peace and tranquility, build a community with a shared future for mankind and make greater contributions to regional and global peace and development,” he added.

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan represented Chinese President Xi Jinping in the inauguration of President Marcos last Thursday.

Xi, who earlier spoke with Marcos over the phone after the latter’s election, also sent a congratulatory message to the new President for his inauguration.