State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a video speech at the "China-Philippines Manila Forum"

Source: Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Adhere to The friendship between China and the Philippines and create a better future together

——State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's video speech at the "China-Philippines Manila Forum"

(January 17, 2022)

Dear Your Excellency Arroyo,

Dear Foreign Minister Lotchin,

Ministers and friends,

Hello everyone! It is a pleasure to participate in the "China-Philippines Manila Forum" again. A year ago, I joined His Excellency Arroyo in Manila in announcing the establishment of the Forum. It is gratifying to see that in the past year, the forum has achieved rapid development and enhanced mutual trust and cooperation between the two peoples. Here, I would like to extend my sincere respects to His Excellency Arroyo and to all people from all walks of life in the two countries who are committed to Sino-Philippine friendship.

China and the Philippines are neighbors with water in the same boat and partners in the same boat. Not long ago, the Philippines was hit by a super typhoon, President Xi Jinping expressed sincere condolences for the first time, and the Chinese government took the lead in providing emergency assistance. The Filipino people are self-reliant and self-reliant, and we are confident that under the leadership of President Duterte and the Philippine Government, the people in the disaster-stricken areas will be able to rebuild their homes at an early date. In order to support the reconstruction of the disaster areas, I would like to announce that the Chinese government has decided to provide another 100 million yuan of free aid to the Philippines.

Dear friends,

The friendly exchanges between China and the Philippines have lasted for thousands of years. What China brought to the Philippines was not colonization and war, but cooperation and friendship. The good story of the Sulu King's interaction with China is a witness to history. During his presidency, His Excellency Arroyo accomplished many practical things to promote Sino-Philippine friendship. Since President Duterte came to power, he has made a strategic choice to improve relations with China, and Sino-Philippine relations have ushered in a rainbow after experiencing storms. Facts have proved that this choice fully conforms to the fundamental interests of the Philippine state and people, the common interests of China and the Philippines, and the trend of peaceful development in the region. I believe that people of insight in the two countries will certainly adhere to this correct direction and write more good stories of Sino-Philippine friendship.

Facing the future, China will continue to adhere to the neighborly policy of good-neighborliness, good-neighborliness and richness, adhere to the principle of neighborly diplomacy of sincerity and tolerance, and strengthen solidarity and cooperation with the Philippines:

We are willing to work with the Philippines to defeat the epidemic once and for all. China has provided more than 57 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Philippines. We are willing to continue to ensure the vaccine needs of the Philippine side, and carry out cooperation on special drugs and public health capacity building until the virus is completely defeated.

We are willing to join hands with the Philippines to accelerate development and revitalization. The "Belt and Road" initiative and the "large-scale construction and special construction" plan have been fully docked, irrigation projects, dam projects, telecommunications projects are accelerating, and a large number of follow-up cooperation such as railways and bridges are being planned and implemented. The Chinese side also supports the Philippine side in completing important projects such as drug rehabilitation centers, post-war reconstruction of Malawi, and bridges in Manila. As the Philippines' largest trading partner and largest export market, China is willing to continue to open its doors to more Philippine agricultural products, bring more investment, and help the Philippines accelerate the process of industrialization and modernization and improve its independent development capabilities.

We are willing to join hands with the Philippines to properly handle the South China Sea issue. Both China and the Philippines have their own views and positions, and in the case of a temporary inability to reach an agreement, we should put this issue in an appropriate position to prevent affecting or even kidnapping the overall situation of China-Philippines relations. If we only highlight one-sided propositions and impose our own opinions on the other side, this is not really the way of being a neighbor, nor is it the philosophy of our Orientals. China will never bully the small with the big, we do not believe that the winner takes all, and we are willing to work with the Philippine side to find a way to control and solve it in a spirit of goodwill and pragmatism. We should have made up our minds early to promote joint development without affecting our respective rights and claims, so that the South China Sea issue will turn from a challenge into an opportunity and a positive factor in helping the Philippines develop and strengthen the friendship between the two peoples.

We are willing to join hands with the Philippines to maintain regional peace and stability. East Asia is the common home of China and the Philippines and the region with the greatest potential for development in the world. At the same time, we should also see that some extraterritorial forces are constantly engaged in provocative acts in an attempt to undermine this good momentum. As important members of the region, China and the Philippines should firmly pursue an independent foreign policy, maintain the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation framework, deepen the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, and contribute to maintaining regional stability and promoting regional prosperity.

2022 is a year of great significance for China and the Philippines. China is about to enter the "Winter Olympics" and will also convene the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The Philippines will also have an important political agenda at home. Standing at a new historical starting point, let us bear in mind the well-being of the two peoples, adhere to the correct direction of Sino-Philippine friendship, follow the blueprint drawn up by the leaders of the two countries, eliminate interference, deepen cooperation, and jointly open up a better future for China-Philippines relations!

Thank you!