Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by his Philippine counterpart, Rodrigo Duterte, before their talks in Manila, the Philippines, Nov 20, 2018. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
MANILA – The Philippines has "revitalized" ties with China by agreements providing "mutual benefits" during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.
"We revitalized our relationship with China, demonstrated by signing 29 bilateral documents and agreements providing mutual benefits to our two countries," Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said during an event on the Duterte administration's achievements.
Two-way trade and Chinese investments in the Philippines have kept growing, while bilateral ties have improved with both countries joining hands to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic
"We have instituted channels for candid discussions on security matters," Lazaro said at the "Duterte Legacy Summit," adding that "the mechanisms we established will continue to be essential to maintaining constructive bilateral dialogue."
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Lazaro said that with the Duterte administration's independent foreign policy, the Philippines "strengthened ties with traditional partners while enhancing engagement with new and non-traditional partners."
Relations between Manila and Beijing have blossomed into what Duterte called a new "springtime," where exchanges from trade to friendly visits were rekindled.
Two-way trade and Chinese investments in the Philippines have kept growing, while bilateral ties have improved with both countries joining hands to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, promote development, and intensify dialogue to usher in peace and stability in the region.
Duterte, whose single, six-year term ends on June 30, will be succeeded by President-elect Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos.