PBBM Beijing visit: 10-14 deals seen inked
Mr. Marcos will meet on 4 January with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Chinese President Xi Jinping
Daily TribuneMr. Marcos will meet on 4 January with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Chinese President Xi Jinping
Between 10 to 14 bilateral agreements are expected to be finalized during the 3 to 6 January 2023 state visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the People's Republic of China, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.
DFA Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Nathaniel Imperial said the agreements would concern trade and investments, agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure, development cooperation, people-to-people ties, and maritime security cooperation.
In his pre-departure media briefing as part of the government's advance party, Imperial said Marcos' trip to China will be his first State Visit outside of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN.
Marcos will be accompanied by his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Information and Communication Technology chief Ivan Uy, and other members of the President's Cabinet.
Imperial said the presence of some of the secretaries "may be needed to sign bilateral agreements with their Chinese counterparts."
Marcos will meet on 4 January 2023 with Li Zanshua, chair of the National People's Congress standing committee; Chinese Premier Li Keqiang; and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Imperial said members of the President's delegation are expected to sign several major business deals during the state visit.
"China, after all, is the country's largest trading partner, our largest source of imports, and our second largest export destination," he added.
President Marcos is expected to speak his mind on diplomatic irritants between the Philippines and China on the West Philippine Sea being claimed by Beijing as part of the South China Sea.
"Marcos wants a peaceful and stable situation in the West Philippine Sea and will continue to uphold the country's sovereignty and sovereign rights during his meetings with Chinese leaders," Imperial said.
The earlier discussions of Xi and Marcos on energy cooperation in Bangkok will also continue, he said.
"We do not want to preempt and second guess what the President will say to his counterparts, but he will raise important issues affecting our bilateral relations — among them the issue on the WPS. We can't say how specific the discussions will be," Imperial added.
Marcos earlier said maritime issues in the WPS do not define the totality of the country's bilateral relations with China.
There is no scheduled meeting between Marcos and the Filipino community in China due to the worsening Covid-19 situation in China.
"It's too bad, but we have to follow Covid protocols in China so there cannot be big gatherings which is usually what the President does when he goes overseas," he said.
All precautionary efforts, he said, have been undertaken to ensure that Marcos' delegation will have a safe and healthy trip in China despite the increasing number of Covid-19 cases.
"We have received assurance from our Chinese host that all arrangements are being made to ensure the safety of the President and his delegation during the visit and a bubble arrangement has been agreed upon for the Philippine delegation to minimize the risk of exposure to the virus," he said.
The Philipines is also looking at a potential 1.5 million renminbi grant from China for the further exploration of the framework agreement on the Pasig River, Marikina River, and the Manggahan Floodway, as well as the Asian Development Bank-assisted Metro Manila Bridges Project.
