Beijing, Manila hail warmer ties
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PRESIDENT Xi Jinping and his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte pledged to enhance trust and deepen cooperation yesterday, Chinese officials said, as the Southeast Asian nation’s new leader seeks to rebalance his country’s diplomacy away from the United States.
China welcomed Duterte with an official ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People at Tian’anmen Square. The two leaders inspected an honor guard, with children cheering.
China highly valued its relations with the Philippines and was ready to work with the country to cement political trust and mutually beneficial cooperation, properly handle differences and become good partners, Xi said during his talks with Duterte.
He said managing differences in the South China Sea issue through dialogue and consultation was an important foundation for the healthy and stable growth of China-Philippines relations.
Following the talks, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters that the leaders had only touched on the topic briefly during their talks.
“Both sides agreed that the South China Sea issue is not the sum total of the bilateral relationship,” Liu said. The two sides agreed to return to the approach used five years ago of seeking a settlement through bilateral dialogue, he added.
That was followed with an announcement by Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez at a bilateral economic forum that his country and China would sign US$13.5 billion of deals this week. He did not elaborate.
Separately, the Philippines Presidential Communications Office said Xi committed more than US$9 billion in low-interest loans to the country, with about a third of the loan offer coming from private banks. About US$15 million in loans would go toward drug rehabilitation programs.
Xi told Duterte the two sides could set aside “issues on which an agreement is hard to reach” in their discussions.
Both sides needed to draw experiences from the past to open up promising prospects for the bilateral relationship, Xi added, calling on both sides to develop friendship and cooperation while properly handling differences.
“China and the Philippines have had foundation for friendship for generations and no reason for hostility or confrontation. Both sides should spare no efforts to promote neighborly relations,” Xi said.
The Chinese leader said the meeting had “milestone significance.”
Duterte is in China for a four-day trip seen as confirming his tilt away from the US.
The two leaders held “extensive” and “amicable” official talks and oversaw the signing of 13 bilateral cooperation documents on business, infrastructure, and agriculture, among other fields, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, without giving details.
Duterte hailed a warming of relations with China and said ties between them went back centuries.
“China has been a friend of the Philippines and the roots of our bonds are very deep and not easily severed,” he told Xi in his opening remarks. “Even as we arrive in Beijing, close to winter, this is a springtime of our relationship,” he added.
Xi put forward four proposals to develop Beijing-Manila ties.
These are to cement political trust, expand substantial cooperation, promote people-to-people exchanges and strengthen cooperation in regional and multilateral affairs.
Xi called on both sides to enhance high-level exchanges in a bid to guide the development of ties, and boost exchanges and cooperation between the two governments, parties, parliaments and localities.
China was ready to enhance cooperation with the Philippines under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.
Xi urged both countries to integrate their development strategies in a comprehensive manner to seek mutually beneficial results.
China was willing to participate in the Southeast Asian nation’s infrastructure construction, covering railways, urban rail transit, highways, ports and other areas, so as to benefit the Philippine people, according to Xi.
The leaders did not discuss whether China would allow Filipino fishermen to return to Huangyan Islands, Liu said.
Duterte had previously said he would ask Beijing to allow Filipino fishermen to again operate in the area.
But China would lift restrictions on imports of tropical fruit from the Philippines and also cancel a travel advisory that had discouraged Chinese tourists from going to the Philippines, Liu said.
Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli told a business forum attended by the visiting president that China was willing to help the Philippines build and provide preferential loans to finance infrastructure such as railways, roads, ports and airports.
After his meeting with Xi, Duterte declared his “separation” from the US, as he rebalances his country’s diplomacy toward China. “I announce my separation from the United States,” he said in the Chinese capital.
“America does not control our lives,” he added.
Addressing the Filipino community in Beijing on Wednesday, the firebrand leader said the Philippines had gained little from its long alliance with the US, its former colonial ruler.
“Your stay in my country was for your own benefit. So time to say goodbye.”
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