JOINT PRESS STATEMENT OF

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

AND

CHINESE PREMIER LI KEQIANG

[Delivered at the President’s Hall, Malacañan Palace |

15 November 2017]

PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Good afternoon.

I am pleased and honored to welcome Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council of the
People’s Republic of China here at the home of the Filipino People, the so-called
Malacañan Palace.

Premier Li’s visit is a momentous occasion for the Philippines as it marks the first visit of
a Chinese Premier to Manila in 10 years. This shows the great strides that we have
accomplished in the bilateral relations between our two countries since I assumed
[office].

I am pleased to note the positive turnaround and vigorous momentum of Philippines-

China relations. Mutual trust and confidence-building have led to increased interaction
on many levels of our two governments. Practical cooperation in many areas is bringing
in an early harvest of tangible benefits. Altogether, these concerted efforts of the
Philippines and China have secured peace, stability, and development in the region.

I am very much eager to sit down and discuss with Premier Li how we can further
advance Philippines-China relations through functional cooperation in key areas, such
as trade, agriculture, education, science and technology, and people-to-people
exchanges.

We will also discuss shared interests and mutual concerns on defense, security,
maritime cooperation, law enforcement, transnational crime, as well as cooperation on
how our two countries can confront the drug menace that haunts both shores.

Premier Li’s visit also allows me the opportunity to personally extend my gratitude to the
Chinese Government for its valuable support [for] the ASEAN chairmanship of the
Philippines this year, and its assistance to our country’s Build Build Build infrastructure
initiatives, its looking [out] for the welfare of Filipinos who live and work in China, its
benevolent assistance in providing military equipment to the AFP, Armed Forces of the
Philippines, and its aid to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi City.
With pragmatism, mutual respect, sincerity, equality, and shared benefit, the friendly
relations between our two countries will forge ahead, determined to secure a
prosperous future for both our peoples.

Thank you.

PREMIER LI KEQIANG: The Honorable President Rodrigo Duterte, members of the

press, good afternoon.

I’m very happy to pay an official visit to the Republic of the Philippines at invitation of
His Excellency, the President.

And I’m also happy to have today’s opportunity to meet you, friends from the press.

Winter has come to northern hemisphere, but the temperature in Manila is still running
pretty high.

I think that somewhat reflects the temperature of China-Philippine relations, which is

also going pretty high on the basis of the positive improvement of the relations between
the two countries.

We hope that we will continue to work together to strengthen this positive momentum
and work together to make up for the time that we may have lost.

Mr. President, you paid a successful visit to China last year. That was an ice-breaking
trip in the relations between our two countries.

This time I have come to the Philippines, it is indeed my first visit to the Republic of the
Philippines as Chinese Premier.

I have come to carry forward our traditional friendship. We are close neighbors and we
enjoy a long-standing friendship between our two countries.

There have been much told stories of friendship between our peoples.

I believe, in spite of some ups and downs in the relations between the two countries, the
aspiration shared by the two peoples for taking our friendship forward and embracing
even brighter future for themselves has never changed.

Both China and the Philippines are developing countries. The governments of both
countries face the daunting task of growing the economies and improving people’s lives.
Since the beginning of this year, we have been heartened by the boom in the practical
cooperation between our two countries.

After the first 10 months of this year, China has become the Philippines’ top trading
partner.

And China has imported some 13,000 batches of tropical fruits from the Philippines and
14 new flights have been opened between the two countries.

We are expecting that the Chinese tourists will make some one million trips to the
Philippines by the end of this year.

The practical cooperation between us in such areas as infrastructure, agriculture and

poverty alleviation has also been going strong.

We commend the Philippine government for the introduction of its own development
strategy that is AmBisyon Natin 2040.

And we would be happy to enhance our cooperation with the Philippines in the
infrastructure sector as well.

Just now, the President and I have already exchanged views in great detail about how
we can work with each other in those related areas.

My suggestion is that our two sides may sit down together to discuss and formulate
cooperation plans in these areas, lasting for the next five or even to 10 years to take
forward our cooperation in these specific fields, to send out message to people of the
two countries, as well as the international community, that China-Philippine relationship
will continuously go forward and the people-to-people friendship between us will be
further strengthened.

In my talks with Mr. President, we also talked about the cooperation between our two
countries regarding defense affairs and counter-terrorism.

The Chinese side supports the efforts made by Mr. President and the Philippine
government in upholding the security and stability of your country.

The Chinese government will provide 150 million RMB Yuan of grants for the rebuilding
and improvement of livelihood in Marawi to demonstrate the support of the Chinese
people.

We have full confidence that under your leadership, Mr. President, and the leadership of
your government, the rebuilding of Marawi will be completed at --- in a very early date
and the local people will embrace even better life.
This year marks the Golden Jubilee of the founding of ASEAN. China-Philippine
relationship is critical for the overall cooperation between China and ASEAN.

China has firmly supported the Philippines in exercising its role as the rotating chair of
ASEAN. And I also want to offer once again my sincere congratulations to the Philippine
side for being so successful in fulfilling your responsibilities as the rotating chair.

Mr. President, you must have chaired over several dozen meetings in the past few days
and spoken 30 to 40 times at those summits. Yet now you're still so energetic and in
high spirits having meetings with the Chinese Premier and your Chinese colleagues.

I'm sure that fully shows how much passion you have for enhancing the Philippines
relations with China. And I have no doubt that the Philippines will play its important and
constructive role in China-ASEAN cooperation. [applause]

Due to well-known reasons for some period of time, there were much doubts expressed
by international media outlets as to whether the friendship between our two countries
would be able to --- would be able to consolidate and even last.

I believe now is the time. It is the time for us to tell our own stories. It is the time for the
media from China and the Philippines to report more on the bright prospects of China-
Philippine relations and the much told stories of friendship between our two peoples.

We welcome more Philippine press to come to China to cover today's events and make
your historic contributions to covering the stories about how our two countries are
working together to seize the opportunity of the day and usher in a new chapter in
China-Philippine relations.

Chinese are open to the Philippine media and press. [applause]

Thank you.

--- END ---

source: PCOO-PND (Presidential News Desk)