MANILA — The Philippines will take care of its relationship with China “more than it did in the past decades,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on his vlog posted on Saturday evening.

“Ang relasyon ng Pilipinas at Tsina ay patuloy nating pangangalagaan, higit pa sa ginawa natin nitong mga nakalipas na dekada,” Marcos said.

“Para sa interes ng ating bayan, kapakanan ng mamamayan, ‘yan po ang tanging gabay ng pundasyon ng ating polisiya sa pakikitungo sa lahat ng mga bansa, hindi lang sa Tsina,” he added.

Marcos gave the statement shortly after his 3-day trip to China, his first state visit outside Southeast Asia, and his first foreign travel in 2023.

“As the economy of the world and the global economy changes, it will present to us many new opportunities and I believe that if we face those challenges together, and if we take advantage of the opportunities together, it would certainly be of mutual benefit to our two countries,” he said.

During his state visit to China, Manila and Beijing signed 14 bilateral agreements in the fields of tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, information and communications technology, trade, and maritime cooperation among others.

Marcos noted that these agreements were first discussed during his first face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Thailand in November 2022.

“Dito sa state visit na ito, yung aming sinimulan na usapan ay natuloy na,” the President said.

“As a matter of fact yung mga meeting namin, karamihan ay lumampas sa oras dahil sinabi ko sayang naman nandito na ako, kailangan lahat ng ating mapagusapan ay paguusapan.

Maging naman si President Xi, sinabi niya na kailangan lahat ng paguusapan ay tapusin natin ngayon para yung ating mga ministers, mga opisyal sa pamahalaan ay alam na nila kung ano ang gagawin nila sa utos nating dalawa,” he added.

Marcos underscored that bilateral relations between the Philippines and China began during the administration of his father and namesake former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

In 1974, then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai invited a Philippine delegation to visit China for the first time since the communist nation opened its borders to the rest of the world.

Marcos Jr. joined that delegation to China, which was led by his mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos.

“Hindi namin alam kung ano ang ieexpect dahil walang balitang nanggagaling sa China dahil sarado pa ang China noon. Hindi namin alam kung ano ang madadatnan namin, kung paano yung mga tao, paano sila mamuhay,” Marcos recalled.

“Marami kaming nakita, kung saan saan kami dinala, ipinakita sa amin yung mga malaking project na ginagawa nila,” he said.

Marcos’ 1974 trip to China included a courtesy visit to Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic of China.

“Napakalaking karangalan yan. Hindi pangkaraniwan na nakakabisita sa kaniya,” Marcos said.

“Nasa labas lang ng Beijing ang pinuntahan namin, isang malaking compound. Doon namin nakilala si Chairman Mao. Hanggang ngayon, so many years later, mafi-fifty years na, hindi ko pa rin makalimutan na nandoon ako tinitingnan ko si Chairman Mao Zedong,” he said.

Marcos said back then, Mao explained to his mother that it is important for China to have good relations with its neighbors including the Philippines.

“Dahil daw mahalaga na ang mga magkapitbahay ay magkakilala. Kailangan ay may usapang maganda para maganda ang patakbo sa ating region,” the President said.

“Ngayon, ako ang itinadhanang maging pangulo sa susunod na anim na taon, isang karangalan at responsibilidad na magpatuloy nang nasimulang magandang samahan halos kalahating siglo na ang nakalipas,” he said.

China, for its part, also continues to “deeply value” its relationship with the Philippines, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Marcos during their bilateral meeting in Beijing.

“In the half-century that followed, regardless of the changes in and outside the Philippines, you and your family have stayed committed to promoting friendship between our two countries,” Xi said.

“Such friendship is deeply valued by us. We have high hopes for the future of the Philippines and the China-Philippine relationship,” he said.

In 2013, Manila hauled Beijing before an international arbitration court after Chinese vessels encroached on parts of the West Philippine Sea several times, even harassing Filipino fishing vessels in areas that were within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

In 2016, the arbitration court invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea and awarded a victory to the Philippines.

China snubbed the ruling and has since continued to militarize shoals in the disputed territory.

Marcos earlier said that the Philippines and China, under his administration, would focus on commonalities to soothe maritime tensions.

“Lagi kong sinasabi na ang pakikipagugnayan sa ibang bansa ay dapat gawin sa sari-saring larangan o aspeto. Ang ating relasyon sa bansang China ay hindi lamang limitado sa mga piling usapin,” Marcos said in his vlog.

“Lalo na ngayon, sabay-sabay tayong bumabangon sa epekto ng pandemiya,” he said.

“Ang post pandemic economy na ating tinatawag ay magiging matagumpay lamang sa pakikipagtulungan natin sa ibang bansa.”

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