China’s Ambassador to the Philippines Accepted the Interview by Chinese Media Delegation

On 28 June 2017, H.E. Mr. Zhao Jianhua, China’s Ambassador to the Philippines, accepted the interview by Chinese Media Delegation participating in the third Chinese Media Reporting Trip to ASEAN organized by ASEAN-China Centre (ACC).

Ambassador Zhao stated that facing China across the sea, the Philippines is a must-pass place of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, an important bond linking the western and eastern world, and an overarching partner of jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Since the ancient times, the people of the Philippines and China enjoyed frequent goods exchanges and cultural interactions through the Maritime Silk Road. President Duterte successfully paid a national visit to China in October 2016, and jointly made a decision with President Xi Jinping to fully improve bilateral relations and push forward higher level development of the relations. In this May, President Duterte led a delegation to China again, and attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation during which he had a good meeting with Chinese leaders. This behavior manifests the great importance and earnestly expectation the Philippines attaches to the Belt and Road Initiative. 

For now, both sides’ governments are working closely with each other to push forward industrial parks and huge infrastructure construction projects including railway, bridge, flood control installation, and irrigation facility in the Philippines, all of which would accelerate the development pace of the Philippines. In addition, both sides’ tourism cooperation witnesses a notable momentum. At the opportunity of the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation, it is estimated that there would be over 1 million person/times Chinese tourists visiting the Philippines. In future, China would join hands with the Philippines to deepen exchanges and cooperation in policies coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bond. He believed that the Belt and Road Initiative would bring benefits and prosperity to the Philippines, China and the rest of the world.

In answering questions about cooperation prospects between the Philippines and Jiangxi, Guangxi, Shandong, Hunan and other China’s provinces, Ambassador Zhao elucidated that the strategic partnership between the Philippines and China has reached a new stage with higher starting point, more comprehensive contents, and deeper cooperation. Both sides enjoy deepening political relations, striking economic leaps, and frequent cultural exchanges. He expected China’s related provinces and cities could seize the new opportunity of ASEAN-China cooperation, and make full use of their unique strengths through enhancing connectivity, practical cooperation, and cultural exchanges so as to make positive contributions to new bright spots of ASEAN-China and the Philippines-China cooperation.