China, Philippines to enhance cooperation

Nations to emphasize infrastructure projects under Belt, Road Initiative

Without China, there would be fewer prospects for countries to grow into emerging economies, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Wednesday in Beijing.

"The emergence of a new China is creating a world where the lesser (developed countries) have a chance, and more than a chance - cooperation for mutual benefit instead of words," Locsin said at a news conference after meeting with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Locsin is making his first official visit to China after becoming foreign secretary in October.

He said his remarks explain why he wrote in the preamble of the bilateral memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative that no country in history but China has aspired to rise, not by stepping on others, but by help-ing them rise as well.

The Philippines has been participating in building the Belt and Road over the past three years, and the two countries have initiated a number of cooperation projects.

Locsin told reporters that the mutual respect and friendship between Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and President Xi Jinping has laid the foundation for a revitalized relationship between the two countries.

He said Duterte will attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in April in Beijing.

Wang said China welcomes Duterte's second attendance at the forum, and he called for deeper synergy between the initiative and the Philippine's "Build Build Build" infrastructure project campaign.

The two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road, especially in building two key sections of the BRI on the island of Luzon and in the city of Davao, and a new industrial park in New Clark City.

China and the Philippines will discuss ways to strengthen cooperation with the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area, and advance building of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, he said.

The two nations will also place more attention on improving people's lives and increasing employment in the Philippines via infrastructure projects and industrial parks, Wang said.

They will cooperate on skills training and technology transfer to help the Philippines build up capacity to develop and improve its industrial structure and level, he added.

Wang said China and the Philippines are positively exploring maritime cooperation and jointly safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea.

He noted that the two countries will hold the fourth of their bilateral consultation meetings early next month to pursue greater progress in maritime dialogue and cooperation.

Wang said China is the Philippines' largest trade partner and source of imports, as well as its second-largest source of tourists, after South Korea. Bilateral trade volume between the two countries rose to $55.7 billion last year, he added.