Duterte's China trip "highly successful" - Palace
Malacanang on Sunday said President Rodrigo Duterte's official visit to China was "highly successful".
Duterte arrived in Davao City Saturday night from his three-day trip to Beijing where he attended the Belt and Road Forum.
"In this latest visit, the Chief Executive witnessed the signing of 19 business agreements, covering a wide range of areas of investments such as in energy, infrastructure that includes tourism related facilities and internet connectivity, agriculture and training of Filipinos sojourning in China, to name a few," said Panelo.
He said the estimated investment value of all the agreements was US$12.165 billion which could generate more than 21,000 jobs for the Filipinos.
Panelo noted that Duterte assured the prospective foreign investors that the Philippine government is trying to create an enabling environment that allows their business establishments and investments to prosper.
"President Duterte also had a productive and fruitful separate bilateral meetings with top Chinese leaderships where he affirmed our commitment to friendship and understanding with China," he said.
"He expressed the country’s readiness to pursue more high-quality and good-impact projects," he added.
On the territorial dispute, Panelo said Duterte reiterated to Chinese President Xi Jinping of his resolve to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, stability and prosperity.
"He expounded the need for both countries to exercise restraint and caution to avoid actions that could complicate situations," he said.
The President’s bilateral meeting with his counterpart also yielded a 1- billion renminbi grant to the Philippines, the spokesman said.
According to Panelo, Duterte's participation during the High-Level Meeting Session 1 of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation highlighted the contribution of migrant workers to the development of home and host countries. He also advocated for the workers' protection and welfare.
In the same forum, Duterte pitched for development assistance based on reciprocal benefits.
In his last day in China, Panelo said the President attended the Leaders’ Roundtable Sessions in the Yanqi Lake International Conference Center. During Session III, Duterte was given the opportunity to have an intervention where he stressed the value of nations, especially in Asia, working together with a shared goal of inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth and prosperity.
"He welcomed economic investments that will help our country improve its economic productivity in the area of agriculture as well as in our country's massive infrastructure development program while ensuring that it will be clean and green," said Panelo.
Panelo assured that Duterte is chartering an independent foreign policy to a new height of diplomatic relations with other nations.
He said this policy is "solely based on our national security and interest and towards a direction that will contribute to our national development, as well as the realisation of the aspiration of our people to attain economic progress and comfortable life for the greater masses of our countrymen."
Duterte's recent trip to China was his fourth since he assumed office in 2016. Ella Dionisio/DMS
