Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang endorsed mutual trust, peace, and cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in his first official visit to the Philippines.
Wang spoke at the opening ceremony of the 2017 ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Thursday.
He focused on how China and the ASEAN could strengthen cooperation in areas of economy and tourism, while also promoting peace and stability in the region.
“China takes ASEAN as a priority in our neighborhood diplomacy,” Wang said, “We support ASEAN centrality and regional cooperation.”
Wang added he expects brighter prospects especially in tourism, as the ASEAN makes up half of the 10 largest groups in China.
“We’re more than ready to work with ASEAN countries to…jointly build a closer China-ASEAN community of shared future and promote regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity,” he said.
His visit also aims to further enhance the mutual trust between Manila and Beijing.
The Vice Premier also said China earlier projected about one million more Chinese tourists visiting the Philippines this year.
“There are more and more Chinese tourists traveling to the Philippines,” he said.
As the Duterte administration seemingly veers away from the United States, Philippine-China relations have been on an upward momentum. President Rodrigo Duterte has sought trade and economic aid in billions of dollars from the Chinese government.
Wang, however, avoided any mention of the controversial issue on the Benham Rise, or even the South China Sea dispute.
His visit comes amid the country’s note verbale over the presence of a Chinese survey ship in the resource-rich Benham Rise east of Luzon.
Being the Vice Premier for agriculture, water resources, commerce and tourism, Wang is one of the four vice premiers next in line to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
Wang is the highest Chinese official to visit the country since Duterte visited China last year.
He is set to meet the President and his economic managers in Manila and Davao in the coming days. His visit ends on March 19.
