Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 22) — The Philippines is eyeing to take home five agreements during President Rodrigo Duterte’s attendance at the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
Duterte will attend the forum, an initiative which envisions global connectivity through infrastructure and facilitation of free trade among others. It will be held in Beijing from April 25 to 27.
DFA Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Meynardo Montealegre said that about five agreements with China are being finalized for signing.
“We are looking at some possible agreements in the areas of education, anti-corruption, official development assistance, as well as drug rehabilitation. It’s in the final stages of consultations,” he said in a media briefing.
He added there could also be agreements on infrastructure.
Montealegre said economic managers are expected to make a pitch for Chinese investments in projects under the Duterte administration’s big-ticket infrastructure “Build, Build, Build” program. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Chief Ernesto Pernia, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, acting Information and Communications Technology Secretary Eliseo Rio, Trade Chief Mon Lopez, and Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat were among those directly invited by the Chinese government to participate in the forum.
Philippine business leaders will also attend some meetings during the Belt and Road Forum.
Duterte will have a bilateral meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. He will also meet with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
“In the meeting with President Xi Jinping, they are expected of course to chart the course of further development of bilateral relations in various areas like defense, security, economics, and development, as well as regional and international issues of mutual importance,” the DFA official said.
Montealegre said he does not want to speculate if the territorial dispute in the Spratly Islands will be tackled during meetings with Chinese leaders, but it could be a topic up for discussion.
“The President has always been saying that we will stick to Philippine interests and position. But as I said, I cannot preempt what the specific discussion will be,” he said.
