By
Jelly F. Musico
MANILA,
Oct. 20 (PNA) – The Philippines and China on Thursday signed 13 bilateral
cooperation agreements ranging from areas of production capacity to
infrastructure, to agriculture and to maritime cooperation.
The
memorandum of understandings (MOU) were signed after the bilateral meetings of
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and China President Xi Jinping in
Beijing.
The
MOU on the Establishment of a Joint Coastal Guard Committee on Maritime
Cooperation topped the agreements signed by Filipino and Chinese officials.
The
signing of cooperation agreement between coast guards of the two countries
means that the two countries will start cooperation on maritime affairs,”
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said in a press conference.
Other
cooperation agreements are on Production Capacity and Investment Cooperation;
Economic and Technological Cooperation between the Government of China and the
Philippines; Strengthening Trade, Investment and Economic Cooperation, Drafting
China-Philippines Economic Cooperation Development Plans and the Tourism;
Implementation Plan 2017-2022;
MOU
on the Lists of Transportation and Infrastructure Cooperation Projects;
Financing Cooperation between the China’s EXIMBANK (Export-Import Bank of
China) and the Department of the Treasury of the Philippines; Agricultural
Cooperation Action Plan 2017-2019; Protocol on Cooperation between PDEA of the
Philippines and the Narcotics Control Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security
of China.
The
delegates from two countries also signed MOU on Supporting Conduct of
Feasibility Studies for Major Projects; on News Information Exchange Training
and for Other Purposes; and, on Cooperation on Animal and Plant Inspection and
Quarantine.
”The
two Presidents also talked about increasing people-to-people ties between the
two countries through efforts to enhance exchanges in education between
tourists, sending students to each other, and establishing cultural centers in
each other’s country. The cultural exchanges will start very soon. The two
Presidents also talked about cooperation in regional and international
affairs,” the Chinese foreign official said.
Liu
described as historic President Duterte’s historic four-day state visit in
China, saying it brought the China-Philippine relations back to the track of
friendship.
The
Chinese official said the meetings between the two heads of state have great
significance in the four areas.
”First,
the visit signifies the full recovery of China, the Philippines friendship back
to the normal level; and, second, it marks the new stage of the practical
cooperation between the two countries that it means that a new page is now open
between the two countries in addressing the South China Sea issue through bilateral
consultations. And fourthly it means a full recovery of the traditional
friendship between China and the Philippines,” he said.
President
Duterte was accompanied by big delegation of over 300 companies from the
Philippines. (PNA)
