Marcos: China, PH must build a strong partnership for future

challenges

BEIJING, China —The Philippines and China must build a strong partnership to overcome multiple
challenges in the future, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said.

Marcos stated this in his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday, Jan. 4, during his
three-day state visit here.

The President stressed that it is important to forge partnerships not only between China and the
Philippines but also with other partners to build economies and transform societies amid current
challenges

“It is very important that these partnerships continue to be strong, continue to be encouraged. And I
think that will be the way forward to the mutual benefit of our countries,” Marcos told Li. “We have
many, many, many areas that we continue to have cooperation in. And I think that they should be
encouraged because they are in the precise areas that are necessary to develop so that we are strong
financially as a country, we are strong in our society, and we are strong in our partnerships with our
friends and allies around the world,” Marcos added.

The chief executive said both the Philippines and China now have a grand opportunity not only to
revitalize their relationship but also to build and foster even greater modes of cooperation and
partnership.

He noted that the opportunities available to China and the Philippines to further their relationship are
“great although there are some difficulties that they have to deal with.”

The meeting with Li took place before Marcos undertakes a bilateral meeting with Chinese President
Xi Jinping on Wednesday night.

China has been the Philippines’ major trading partner, posting a total trade of $29.1 billion as of
January to September 2022, with exports amounting to $8.1 billion and imports at $21 billion.

Last year, the Philippines’ top exports to China included digital monolithic integrated circuits,
semiconductor devices, nickel ore and concentrates, cathodes and sections of cathodes, refined copper
and storage units.

Last year, the Philippines recorded 9,574 tourist arrivals from China. It also hosts a significant number
of Filipinos. In mainland China, there were around 15,000 Filipinos as of October last year.

In Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, there were 394,489 Filipinos for the same period.