3. Xi meets Philippines’ President Marcos
Xi Jinping holds talks with the Philippines’ President Marcos
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 4 (Reporter Liu Hua) – On the afternoon of January 4, President Xi Jinping held talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People.
Xi Jinping welcomed Marcos’ first visit to China after taking office as President of the Philippines. Xi Jinping pointed out that this is your first official visit to a country outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and you are also the first foreign leader received by China this year. This fully reflects the closeness of the relationship between China and the Philippines, and also shows that the two sides occupy an important position in each other’s diplomatic structure. China and the Philippines are close neighbors separated by a strip of water. In the thousands of years of history of exchanges between the two countries, treating each other with sincerity and helping each other has always been the mainstream of China-Philippines relations, and it is also a precious spiritual wealth shared by the two peoples. 48 years ago, your father and the older generation of Chinese leaders had insight into the current situation and complied with the general trend, and jointly made the historic decision to establish diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines. For nearly half a century since then, no matter how the international situation and the Philippine domestic political situation have changed, you and your family have always had the same original intention to promote the friendship between China and the Philippines. This friendship is invaluable. I hope your visit to China this time is not only a “journey of nostalgia”, but also a “journey of pioneering”. China always puts the Philippines in the priority direction of its neighborhood diplomacy, and insists on viewing China-Philippines relations from a strategic and overall perspective. I am willing to maintain regular strategic communication with you, comprehensively plan the next step in the development of bilateral relations, and be good neighbors who help each other, good relatives who know each other, and good partners who cooperate and win-win, so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples and contribute to the development of the two countries. Regional peace and stability will contribute more positive energy.
Xi Jinping emphasized that although China and the Philippines have different national conditions and different systems, they have similar goals and similar paths in the pursuit of development, and there is huge potential for cooperation. The two sides should strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between government departments, legislative bodies, and political parties of the two countries, deepen the docking of development strategies, integrate and promote each other in their respective modernization processes, and better help the development and prosperity of the two countries. The two sides have established four major areas of cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. These are the four beams and eight pillars supporting the comprehensive strategic cooperative relationship between China and the Philippines. We must make great efforts to cultivate growth points and create new highlights. China is promoting rural revitalization in an all-round way and speeding up the construction of a strong agricultural country. China is willing to help the agricultural and rural development of the Philippines, build an agricultural technology center brand project, carry out cooperation in the entire industrial chain of breeding, production, processing, and storage, and accelerate the promotion of Juncao cooperation. Solidly promote cooperation in the fields of infrastructure and interconnection, implement “hard” infrastructure cooperation in key projects, and expand cooperation in “soft” infrastructure such as telecommunications, big data, and e-commerce, so as to drive the overall economic and social development of the Philippines. China and the Philippines have complementary advantages in cooperation in traditional fossil energy and clean energy. China is willing to continue to properly handle maritime issues with the Philippines through friendly consultations, restart negotiations on oil and gas development, promote cooperation in oil and gas development in non-disputed areas, and carry out cooperation in green energy such as photovoltaics, wind energy, and new energy vehicles. China is willing to continue to expand the import of high-quality agricultural and fishery products from the Philippines and support Chinese enterprises to invest and start business in the Philippines. The two sides should deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges in all aspects, expand cooperation in basic education and vocational education, and explore innovative cooperation in fields such as meteorology and aerospace. China is willing to continue to carry out vaccine research and development cooperation with the Philippines, and combine their respective local industrial advantages to create a new model of mutual assistance and cooperation between provinces, municipalities and counties of the two countries. China is taking the initiative to optimize and adjust epidemic prevention measures, and coordinate epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development more scientifically. It is believed that the people of the two countries can return to the close exchanges before the epidemic.
Xi Jinping emphasized that both China and the Philippines are developing countries in Asia, and our development is rooted in a good-neighborly and friendly surrounding environment, as well as in the big Asian family of win-win cooperation. China is willing to focus on cooperation and development with the Philippines and other ASEAN countries, maintain the centrality of ASEAN in regional cooperation, promote the construction of the “five major homes”, and help the region get rid of the shadow of the Cold War, avoid confrontation between camps, and continue to become a highland for development and prosperity. China appreciates the Philippines’ support for global development initiatives and global security initiatives, and is willing to work with the Philippines to increase mutual support, safeguard the common interests of the two countries and developing countries, carry forward the common values of all mankind, promote the building of a community of shared future for mankind, and contribute to the improvement of regional peace and harmony. Contribute positively to global governance.
Marcos said that he is very happy to pay a long-awaited visit to China. This is my first state visit to a country outside the ASEAN. I hope to prove to the world through this visit that the relationship between the Philippines and China is very good and very important. They value mutual relations and are committed to elevating the relationship between the Philippines and China to a new height. Although the Philippines and China established diplomatic relations only 48 years ago, the friendship between the two peoples has spanned thousands of years. I am honored to have participated in the history of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China. Today I will shoulder the important responsibility of continuing to promote the traditional friendship between the Philippines and China. I look forward to maintaining close communication with President Xi Jinping, strengthening cooperation in all aspects, opening a new chapter in the comprehensive strategic cooperative relationship between the Philippines and China, and better cooperating to solve the challenges and problems faced by the two countries, to better benefit the two peoples, and to promote the development of the region. Make new contributions to becoming an important engine of the world economy again. The Philippine side is willing to tap the potential with the Chinese side, continue to enrich the connotation of bilateral relations, and deepen cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, energy, humanities, trade, investment, technology, digital economy and other fields. I believe that the many cooperation documents signed by us today will greatly help the economic development of the Philippines. China is the strongest cooperative partner of the Philippines, and nothing can stop the continuation and development of the friendship between the Philippines and China. The Philippines adheres to the one-China policy. The Philippine side is willing to continue to properly handle maritime issues through friendly consultations and restart consultations with China on oil and gas development. Thanks to China for its valuable help in fighting the epidemic in the Philippines. It is expected that after the epidemic, more Chinese people will travel to the Philippines for tourism and study, and the people of the two countries will have closer exchanges, laying a more solid foundation for the long-term development of bilateral relations. I have full confidence in the prospect of the development of the Philippines-China relations.
After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of cooperation documents related to the “Belt and Road”, agriculture and fisheries, infrastructure, finance, customs, e-commerce, and tourism.
Before the talks, Xi Jinping held a welcoming ceremony for Marcos in the North Hall of the Great Hall of the People.
A 21-gun salute was fired at Tiananmen Square, soldiers of honor lined up to pay tribute, and trumpeters blew their trumpets to welcome guests. The two heads of state stepped onto the reviewing stand, and the military band played the national anthems of China and the Philippines. Accompanied by Xi Jinping, Marcos inspected the guard of honor of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and watched the parade.
Peng Liyuan, wife of Xi Jinping, and Lisa Marcos, accompanied by his wife, attended the welcome ceremony.
That night, Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcome banquet for Marcos and his wife Lisa in the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People.
Wang Yi, He Lifeng and others participated in relevant activities.
During Marcos’ visit to China, the two sides will also issue the “Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of the Philippines.”