[OPINION] Opening together a new future for Sino-Philippine relations

I will soon be visiting the State in the Republic of the Philippines at the kind invitation of President Rodrigo Duterte. I am full of expectations as I am about to set foot on this beautiful land, a constantly growing nation and the home of an honest and friendly people. I wish to convey my cordial greetings and best wishes to the people of the Philippines.

China and the Philippines are neighboring countries facing each other. Exchanges of ships and merchants between our two countries began more than a thousand years ago. More than 600 years ago, Chinese navigator Zheng He repeatedly traveled to Manila Bay, Visayas and Sulu during his seven trips abroad in search of food. friendship and cooperation. The King of Sulu also made a goodwill visit to China, bringing his best wishes to the Chinese people and leaving behind touching stories of friendship between China and the Philippines.

Many people born on the southeast coast of China have crossed the sea to settle in the Philippines and have since lived in harmony with the local community. The ancestors of the national hero and founding father of the Philippines, José Rizal, came from Jinjiang, in China's Fujian Province. The famous Chinese general Ye Fei, who fought for the founding of new China, was born in Quezon, Philippines. For our two peoples, these are proud names to remember.

Rainbow after the rain

Since the inauguration of President Duterte, China and the Philippines have resumed dialogue and consultations with a view to appropriately addressing the problem of the South China Sea. Our relationships have now seen a rainbow after the rain.

In just over two years, China has become the Philippines' largest trading partner, the largest export market and largest source of imports, and the second largest source of tourists. Private investment has generated renewed interest in both countries and interactions between our cultural groups have been frequent.

More and more Philippine fruits are coming to the table of Chinese households and a growing number of Philippine scenic spots are included in the itinerary of Chinese tourists.

China strongly supports the Philippines' struggle against drug trafficking and terrorism and its post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Marawi, thus contributing to peace in the country. In the face of disasters, our two peoples united and helped each other by writing new chapters of friendship between our two countries.

Under the leadership of President Duterte, the Filipino people are striving to implement the 10-point socio-economic agenda and the "Build, Build, Build" strategy to make the country more prosperous. The Chinese people are working tirelessly to achieve their "two-hundred-year goals" and realize the Chinese dream of a great national renewal. Our common aspirations and dreams have forged a close bond between our peoples.

I am mainly going on this occasion to discuss with President Duterte how we can strengthen our unwavering cooperation under new circumstances and to develop a comprehensive plan to further strengthen our relationship to a higher level.

If we want to achieve this goal, we must do a number of things.

• We must deepen mutual political trust to support the growth of Sino-Philippine relations. China would like to work with the Philippines to develop blueprints for our future relations from a broader perspective and to strengthen strategic communication on bilateral relations and major regional and international issues. We must properly manage differences through friendly consultations, strengthen dialogue and cooperation on maritime issues and make the South China Sea an ocean of peace, friendship and cooperation that truly benefits our two peoples.
• We must strengthen practical cooperation in order to consolidate the foundations of Sino-Philippine relations. The Philippines, with its unique geographical advantage, is a natural partner of the Belt and Road Initiative. China wishes to collaborate with the Philippines to renew the legacy of the ancient Silk Road. China will work with the Philippines to strengthen the synergy between our Belts and Roads strategies, enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of business, trade, infrastructure, agriculture, tourism and others and to help the Philippines to carry out more livelihood projects in a way that will help our cooperation, the peoples of our two countries will have a stronger sense of fulfillment and happiness. China will continue to strengthen its cooperation with the Philippines in the areas of defense, drug control, counter-terrorism and law enforcement to create a healthy environment for the development of our two countries and peace and the stability of our region.
• We need to strengthen people-to-people ties to keep Sino-Philippine relations stronger than ever. China and the Philippines are very close to one another in terms of geographical location, ancestral links and culture. The friendly exchanges between our two peoples constitute an inexhaustible source of strength for our relations. As the saying goes, the flames go up very loudly when everyone joins to add gasoline. We need to promote interactions between our political parties, our parliaments, our think tanks and at the local level. We need to intensify exchanges on education, science and technology, culture and among young people. We must encourage wider participation in our cooperation. Thus, the friendship between our peoples will grow and be passed on from generation to generation.
• We must unite our efforts to deepen cooperation in East Asia in order to achieve positive results for all. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. The Philippines successfully hosted the East Asia Leaders' Meetings last year and this year assumed the noble and important role and responsibilities as National Coordinator for China-ASEAN Relations. . China strongly supports the role of the Philippines as country coordinator and will work with the Philippines to improve China-ASEAN relations and better achievements in cooperation with East Asia. China will make an increased contribution to the BIMP-EAGA initiative launched by the Philippines, will foster new growth drivers for cooperation with ASEAN through closer cooperation with the Philippines and will contribute to the development of Mindanao and other parts of the country.

China began its reform and openness four decades ago. Since then, the Chinese people have worked hard with unity and perseverance and have written great success in developing the Chinese nation. China has become the world's second-largest economy, the largest industrial manufacturer, the largest merchandise trader and the holder of the largest foreign exchange reserves.

China now contributes more than 30% to global growth and has taken more than 700 million people out of poverty by UN standards. Now, China is deepening the reform as a whole and opening up more widely, and our reform and opening up efforts will never stop.

Trade liberalization and economic globalization are an unstoppable trend of our time. As a leading responsible country committed to win-win cooperation and greater openness, China is ready to share with all countries the opportunities and potential of its market. This commitment is clearly explained by the very first international exhibition of China International, which has just been concluded successfully.

Express train development

China welcomes the Philippines and other countries on the express train of its development.

China will work with other countries to firmly defend the WTO-based multilateral trading system and promote the evolution of the international political and economic order in a fairer and more equitable direction.

Many centuries ago, China's GDP already accounted for 30% of the world total, without being aggressive or expanding. In the hundred years since the Opium War in 1840, China has suffered tremendously from assaults, wars and repeated unrest. Confucius once said, "Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you."

We Chinese believe that peace and stability are the only means of development and prosperity. This is neither a choice of opportunities nor a diplomatic rhetoric. It is our conviction and our guide of what we practice in the field. China will remain committed to the path of peaceful development and will always remain the anchor of peace and stability for the Asia-Pacific and the world.

As a Filipino proverb says, "seize today, otherwise you will lose tomorrow." China will work with the Philippines to seize the opportunity and follow the trend of our time. Let us work together to build on the Asian tradition of peace, credibility and good neighborliness and further strengthen bilateral relations for an even brighter future for both countries and Asia as a whole. – Rappler.com

The author is the President of the People's Republic of China.