“We are committed to shifting the trajectory of our bilateral relations to a higher gear, hoping to bring more prospects and abundant opportunities for peace and development to the people of our two countries, and I look forward to meeting with President Xi Jinping.” I have,” he added.
Alluding to the two countries’ territorial disputes in the South China Sea, he said he looked forward to discussing bilateral and regional political and security issues.
“The issue between the two countries is one that does not belong between two friends like the Philippines and China,” he added. “We will try to resolve these issues for the mutual benefit of both countries.”
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, ignoring a 2016 court ruling in The Hague that invalidated Beijing’s claim to the waterway. The lawsuit, filed by the Philippines, says China developed the disputed reef into an artificial island with aircraft runways and other structures that now resemble a front-line military base.
Most recently, a Philippine military commander reported that the Chinese Coast Guard forcibly seized Chinese rocket wreckage that Philippine Navy personnel recovered in the South China Sea last month.
China denied forced seizures. Marcos said he would seek further clarification about his visit to Beijing.
Marcos said a delegation of large companies would accompany him and seek cooperation in various areas, including agriculture, energy, infrastructure, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges. He said he plans to sign more than 10 major bilateral agreements during his visit.
China accounts for 20% of the Philippines’ foreign trade and is also a major source of foreign direct investment.
