Arroyo airs positive vibes on Xi visit

Former President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has said that Chinese President Xi Jingping's visit to the Philippines later this month would further strengthen relations between the two countries.

In her keynote speech at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Youth Summit 2018 held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Arroyo said Philippine-China relations have a deep foundation and she

expects Xi’s visit to further boost the relations given the “favorable” status under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“I expect President Xi’s visit to further strengthen relations between our two countries. Our evolving relationship is part of a history that dates back to previous leaders of our two countries, so it has a deep foundation. Now, the current status continues to be favorable, because President Rodrigo Duterte is a friend of China,” Arroyo told thousands of delegates to the summit.

The Speaker also reckoned that keeping a good relationship with China is important to the Philippines because of its geographical location, trading partnership, and proven capability in infrastructure development, among others.

“The relationship between China and the Philippines is very important for my country. One major reason is geography – the Philippines and China are located within each other’s backyard, so to speak, so good relations between neighbors are always a priority. Second, China is increasingly involved not only in bilateral dealings, but also collectively, such as through ASEAN, of which the Philippines is an active member,” she explained.

She also pointed out that China is poised to becoming the largest economy in the world so that it is essential that the Philippines be friends with China. “Third, China’s economy remains the most dynamic and fast growing among the major nations, and will soon become the largest economy in the world, so of course, it is good to be friends with China.”

Arroyo also cited the vibrant FilipinoChinese community in the country and China’s track record in infrastructure as among other reasons why the Philippines needs to keep good relations with China.

“Fourth, domestically, the Philippines has a very vibrant Filipino-Chinese community for whom increased business dealings with China is very natural. And fifth, infrastructure will be very important for the Philippines in the coming years, and there is no country in the world that matches China’s recent track record and capability in this area,” she said.

The BFA Youth Summit is a yearly summit that invites political leaders, specialists, and scholars across Hong Kong, Mainland China and other countries to offer valuable perspectives on Asian economic trends, youth development, education, technology, creativity and innovation. Arroyo is a member of the BFA Board.

10 young Pinoys This year’s theme is “40 years of Reform and Opening Up: China and the World” to highlight the need for young people to jointly participate in building a community through economical, technological, cultural, and educational links.

Arroyo, who represents Pampanga's 2nd district, also brought 10 Filipino youth to the summit to gain valuable insights on the tremendous growth in China to inspire them to create positive change for growth in their respective communities. The youth also went to Guangzhou in Mainland China to witness its remarkable growth.

Arroyo also noted that days after the United States took steps towards a trade war, Xi stressed the need for greater cooperation and commitment to building an open economy. She pointed out that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a proposed mega free trade agreement between the member states of ASEAN, including the Philippines, and six Asia-Pacific states, including China, will provide the impetus for the trade tension.

“The trade tension with the United States provides an impetus for RCEP. With China’s participation, the proposed RCEP will be the world’s largest trading bloc,” she said.

She added that with RCEP combined with the Belt and Road Initiative, China is gearing into the next stage of its development to become a fullymodern and globally relevant economy as it strives for partnership in growth and development with its neighbors and the world.

Breathtaking transformation

Arroyo said she could describe China’s transformation since it opened up after 40 years as “breathtaking.”

“I knew China since the 1970s and I can use one word to describe China’s transformation — “breathtaking. To summarize the past 40 years, China has shown the world that rapid economic growth and modernization is possible through a combination of vision, political will, and open and responsible relations with other nations,” she concluded.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhixin, councilor of Asian affairs at the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared similar positive vibes as Arroyo regarding President Xi's upcoming visit to the country.

“This historic visit is one way to advance our friendship, our cooperation,” Zhang told Manila-based journalists, including this writer, during a media tour last month in the mainland.

Zhang, who was a very warm host, appealed to the visitors to “hold on to this bilateral friendship and bilateral cooperation as we make this Belt Road Initiative... a strong bond to link China and the Philippines.”

'When you come back to your own country, please kindly pass this kind of good feeling of the Chinese people,' he told the participants, who also included journalists from Brunei.