9 December 2022, East Ocean Palace

H.E. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Former President of the Philippines,

Hon. Deputy House Speaker Camille Villar,

Hon. Senator Cynthia A. Villar,

Hon. Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III,

Hon. Raul L. Lambino, Chairman of APCU,

Hon. Jeffery T. NG, Vice Chairman of APCU,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon!

It gives me great pleasure to join you at the 7th Manila Forum for China-Philippines Relations. It is of special significance that this is our first face-to-face meeting since the launching of this Forum. I wish to, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy, send our cordial greetings to all distinguished guests, extend our hearty appreciation to the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU) for putting this meeting together, and express our warm congratulations on the full success of the Forum. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Hon. Raul L. Lambino and Hon. Jeffery T. NG on their elections as Chairman and Vice Chairman of APCU.

Just now, I listened with great interest to the speeches and remarks on the theme of “China and China-Philippines Relations after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC)”. I am much inspired by the insights on China-Philippines relations and deeply moved by the enthusiasm for China-Philippines friendship. In fact, all of us are witnesses, supporters and advocates for China-Philippines relations and friendship. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and pay high tribute to people from all sectors who have long been committed to China-Philippines friendship.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

With changes of the world, of the times and of history unfolding at a faster pace, countries are all thinking about the way forward. The 20th CPC National Congress has given China’s answer, that is: Internally, China will stay committed to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, to a people-centered philosophy of development, and to deepening reform and opening up; externally, China will firmly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, uphold its foreign policy goals of safeguarding world peace and promoting common development, and stay committed to promoting a community with a shared future for mankind.

With General Secretary Xi Jinping at the helm, the Chinese people will advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, which will not only realize China’s own prosperity but also contribute to its neighborhood and beyond through its own development. The modernization of China, a country with over 1.4 billion people, will provide super-sized market for the world; China’s efforts to achieve common prosperity for all will facilitate common development and progress of all countries; raising Chinese people’s living standards and enriching their lives will promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations; China’s commitment to the harmony between humanity and nature will advance green and low-carbon transition of the world; China’s adherence to the path of peaceful development represents a growing force for world peace. With stability of our system, governance, policy and development, China will provide much needed certainty and stability to this world. A China marching toward modernization will bring more opportunities, inject stronger momentum for international cooperation, and make greater contribution to human progress.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

China and the Philippines are neighbors facing each other across the sea and through thick and thin. As developing countries, we share similar development tasks, as well as extensive common interests. President Marcos Jr. specifically put forward the goals and measures to realize the modernization of the Philippines in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA). China welcomes the Philippines to become an important partner in China’s pursuit of Chinese modernization and share the opportunities of China’s huge market and China’s efforts to advance opening up and deepen international cooperation. 

Last month, President Xi Jinping had a successful meeting with President Marcos Jr. in Bangkok. The two leaders reached many important consensus on writing a new chapter in China-Philippines friendship and building a more robust and strong bilateral relationship. Our two sides have identified agriculture, infrastructure, energy and people-to-people exchanges as four priority areas of cooperation, and we are committed to elevating the level of cooperation to the benefit of the two peoples. At the same time, we stick to friendly consultation and handle differences and disputes properly. The blueprint of China-Philippines relations has been painted, and it’s time for us to take concrete actions to make it happen. Let’s work together to follow through on the consensus between the two leaders, so as to usher in a new“golden era”in bilateral ties.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Manila Forum for China-Philippines Relations is about to celebrate its second anniversary. Over the past two years, the Forum has focused on the key issues such as post-COVID economic recovery, centennial of the CPC, Chinese path to modernization, China-Philippines relations and China-Asean relations, providing an important platform for communication and dialogue between China and the Philippines and playing a positive role in promoting the growth of China-Philippines relations. We hope that the Forum could avail itself of the opportunities brought by the 20th CPC National Congress, further injecting strong impetus to China-Philippines cooperation and contributing more to consolidate China-Philippines friendship.

Thank you and Mabuhay!