Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 18)— Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang will head to the Philippines for an official visit later this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Tuesday.
In an advisory, the DFA said Qin will make the trip from April 21 to 23 upon the invitation of his counterpart, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.
“The official visit continues the series of high-level interactions between the Philippines and China in 2023, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to China in early January,” the department noted.
According to the DFA, Qin and Manalo are expected to tackle regional security issues concerning both nations.
The two will likewise discuss the implementation of deals reached from previous Philippine-China engagements — including during Marcos’ state visit to Beijing as well as the recently concluded Bilateral Consultations Mechanism on the South China Sea.
“In particular, both sides will discuss increasing and strengthening cooperation in the fields of agriculture, trade, energy, infrastructure, and people-to-people relations, among others,” the DFA added.
Qin’s visit will be his first official engagement with the Philippine government since his appointment as foreign minister and state councilor.
Both Manila and Beijing have previously agreed to find solutions — through diplomatic means — to settle issues and tensions over their overlapping claims in the disputed waterway.
The two countries also recently hogged the headlines after China expressed concern over the United States’ expanded military access in the Philippines.
Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian claimed that Washington “intends to take advantage” of the new sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement — a claim that the government has denied.
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