The Philippines and China should build a strong partnership as they face multiple challenges in the future, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said during his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Kequiang on Wednesday.

During the meeting in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Marcos underscored the importance of forging partnerships not only between China and the Philippines but also with other partners to build economies and transform societies amid current challenges.

“It is very important that these partnerships continue to be strong, continue to be encouraged. And I think that will be the way forward to the mutual benefit of our countries,” Marcos told Li, adding he looks forward to meeting President Xi Jinping.

“We have many, many, many areas that we continue to have cooperations in. And I think that they should be encouraged because they are in the precise areas that are necessary to develop so that we are strong financially as a country, we are strong in our society, and we are strong in our partnerships with our friends and allies around the world,” Marcos said.

Marcos also said the Philippines and China now have a grand opportunity not only to revitalize their relationship but also to build and foster even greater modes of cooperation and partnership.

The opportunities that are available to China and the Philippines to further their relationship are great although there are some difficulties that they have to deal with, Marcos noted.

Marcos and Premier Li earlier had a brief conversation on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Plus Three (APT) Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Li, in the meeting in the Cambodian capital, said he believes there should be a continued growth of China-Philippines relations, underscoring that what the two countries have in common “far outweighs” their differences, to which the Philippine leader agreed.

The ASEAN-Plus Three consists of the 10 ASEAN member states, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.

China has been the Philippines’ major trading partner, posting a total trade of $29.1 billion as of January to September 2022, with exports amounting to $8.1 billion and imports at $21 billion.

Last year, the Philippines’ top exports to China included digital monolithic integrated circuits, semiconductor devices, nickel ore and concentrates, cathodes and sections of cathodes, refined copper and storage units.

The Asian country is also a major contributor to the country’s tourism industry. Last year, the Philippines recorded 9,574 tourist arrivals from China.

China also hosts a significant number of Filipinos. In mainland China, there were around 15,000 Filipinos as of October this year.

In Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, there were 394,489 Filipinos for the same period. Presidential News Desk