(Eagle News) — The Chinese vice prime minister is scheduled to meet President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao on Friday, March 17.
This is according to Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, who on Thursday, March 16, held his first-ever press conference since assuming the post.
The acting secretary did not specify a name, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China website said Vice Premier Wang Yang of the State Council would be on official visit to the Philippines from March 16 to March 19.
“It will be the highest level visit from a Chinese official since the President visited China,” he said, in reference to Duterte’s state visit to the neighboring country in October last year.
The President’s state visit came amid rising tensions with the United States then-led by Barack Obama, who had previously repeatedly called out Duterte and his war on drugs.
According to Manalo, Wang would have a “number of activities.”
“And also, a number of economic arrangements and agreements will be signed, or projects rather,” he said.
“It’s a good sign of a growing relationship between the Philippines and China. And certainly he will be welcomed very much,” he added.
‘Guideposts’
In the press conference, Manalo also underscored what he said were the department’s “guideposts” in the performance of their mandate.
He said “first, the paramount consideration” in the country’s foreign policy was the “national interest.
As such, “any treaties, agreements we sign, or any initiatives we may take either regionally or in the multilateral setting should promote the well-being of our country, our citizens and also the national interest.”
According to Manalo, “we will endeavor to maintain friendly, cooperative and mutually beneficial ties with all nations.”
He said the “strength and standing” of our country, and the “welfare of our people” are, after all, “enhanced greatly by partnerships that we build on the basis of mutual respect and benefit” in this age of globalization.
“Thirdly, we will pursue avenues to enhance our country’s capacity, and we recognize that because we are all now living in a globalized and interdependent world,” he said.
“Under the leadership of President Duterte, we are already moving forward from dependence on any single country to adopt a strong, independent foreign policy. And as foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy, it is of equal importance that we must be responsive to the needs of the people and the interests,” he added.
The acting secretary also noted that one of the “urgent interests from the perspective of foreign policy” was “ensuring the effective governance of our country’s maritime domain.”
“Effective governance (covers) from securing our nation’s territory to effectively policing our waterways and to ensuring the health of our marine resources,” he said, without giving any specifics.
