Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) — The Philippines and China signed 14 bilateral agreements during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Beijing, Malacañang said Wednesday.
The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said the signed deals were on agriculture, infrastructure, development cooperation, maritime security, and tourism, among others.
Here’s the list of the 14 deals as shared by the OPS:
On agriculture:
– A joint action plan for 2023-2025 on agricultural and fisheries cooperation between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
– The handover certificate of the Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology-Technological Cooperation Phase III
– A protocol of phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh durian from the Philippines to China between the DA and China’s General Administration of Customs
On infrastructure:
– A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s global infrastructure development strategy to invest in about 150 countries and international organizations
– The handover certificate of two China-aided bridge projects in Manila, the Binondo-Intramuros bridge and the Estrella-Pantaleon bridge
– A framework agreement for the Renminbi-portion of the loan financing for three priority projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
– Four loan agreements for the mixed-credit financing (US Dollar and Renminbi) of three priority bridge projects under the DPWH
On development cooperation:
– An MOU between the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China and the Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology on digital and information and communications technology cooperation
– An MOU between the National Economic and Development Authority and China’s International Development Cooperation Agency on the Development Cooperation Plan 2023-2025
On maritime security:
– An arrangement for the establishment of a communication mechanism on maritime issues between the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China
On tourism:
– The implementation of the MOU on tourism between the Philippines’ Department of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China.
Other deals:
– An MOU between the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Commerce of China on electronic commerce cooperation
– An agreement on economic and technical cooperation between China and the Philippines
– A mutual recognition agreement between the General Administration of Customs of China and the Bureau of Customs of the Philippines on authorized economic operator program
Malacañang also said Chinese President Xi Jinping affirmed his commitment to strengthen Philippines-China relations.
The East Asian giant has been the country’s major trading partner, posting a total trade of $29.1 billion from January to September 2022, the OPS noted.
