Xi congratulates Marcos on inauguration
▶ Frequent interactions set good start to better ties despite US meddling
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on his inauguration as president of the Philippines on Thursday and stressed that he is ready to work with the new president to continue the friendly relations to benefit the peoples of the two countries.
The Chinese top leader’s congratulations together with the attendance of Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, who acts as President Xi’s special representative, to Marcos’ inauguration set a good start to China- Philippine relations for the next six years, analysts said, noting that although the US’ intensified efforts to draw the Philippines to contain China and hype topics on the South China Sea, the momentum for China and the Philippines to further develop relations and cooperation will not change.
In his message on Thursday, Xi recalled that not long ago, he talked with Marcos over the phone and reached important consensus with him on upholding good- neighborly friendship of the two countries and joining hands for common development.
President Xi said he is ready to work with Marcos to chart the course for the development of bilateral ties from a strategic and long- term perspective, and continue to write a great chapter of China- Philippine friendship and cooperation for the new era to benefit the two countries and their people.
Marcos Jr., son of former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, was sworn
in as the Philippine president in a ceremony at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila on Thursday, succeeding Rodrigo Duterte, local media reported.
Vice President Wang Qishan, who led a delegation to the Philippines, attended the Thursday presidential inauguration and later met with Marcos. During their meeting, Wang delivered President Xi’s congratulatory message to Marcos and said that China- Philippine traditional friendship has lasted a thousand years.
Wang pointed out that President Marcos and his family have deep feelings with China and also made great contri
butions to promoting China- Philippine friendly relations.
China always gives priority to the Philippines in its neighborhood diplomacy and expects to work with the Philippine government to promote mutual trust and to push bilateral relations on track toward a new “golden era,” said Wang.
Marcos extended his appreciation to President Xi and expressed welcome to Wang’s visit. He recalled his visit to China with his mother in 1974 and said the new government also attaches great importance to relations with China and is willing to be engaged in the Belt and Road Initiative more deeply, and to work with China to deal with regional challenges and to push bilateral relations to a new level.
The Chinese top leader’s congratulations and the recent interactions with Marcos have fully shown that China attaches great importance to bilateral relations with the Philippines and that its sincerity to work with its new government to further develop relations and cooperation, said Chen Xiangmiao, an assistant research fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
Relations between China and the Philippines have achieved considerable recovery and improvement over the past six years. The two countries have also explored effective ways to properly manage differences, especially on the South China Sea, and seek cooperation and smooth high- level exchanges – all the good methods to maintain relations will be carried on by the new president. Recent interactions also set a good start to better relations for the next six years, Chen said.
Xu Liping, a research fellow on Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, expressed his hope for President Marcos to actively promote bilateral relations to a new level. Xu pointed out that future relations with China will also focus on boosting the Philippines’ economic and industrial development. The two countries will explore more cooperation on infrastructure construction, agriculture and oil and gas exploration.