PROMOTING FRIENDLY TIES, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN PH-CHINA

THE Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU) and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of the Philippines are delighted to announce the six laureates of this year's 2023 Awards for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding (APPCU), the novel award-giving body that pays special tribute to Filipinos who made efforts through time in promoting friendly ties and mutual understanding between the Philippines and China.

This year's APPCU Hall of Fame awardees are former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and former Special Envoy of the President to the People's Republic of China Amb. Carlos Chan.

The awardees for the APPCU Outstanding Contributions are Amb. Rigoberto Tiglao, columnist at The Manila Times and former Philippine ambassador to Greece and Cyprus; and Dr. Jaime Cruz, former Special Envoy to the People's Republic of China, Trade and Investments.

The awardees for the Major Contributions are Regina Rosa Tecson, the director of the Satellite Office of Vice President Sarah Duterte in Davao City; and Jose Ong Tajan, former president of APCU Baguio and former chairman of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Baguio City.

In addition, this year's awardees made contributions in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples – Filipinos and Chinese – and between the two countries – Philippines and China – as well as encouraged more people to support and promote Philippines-China understanding and friendship.

Their works' prestige and endeavors in promoting and strengthening the friendship and mutual understanding between the Philippines and China are essentially the basis for selecting them as APPCU laureates for 2023.

The six awardees will be recognized in an award ceremony on June 8.

Meanwhile, the APPCU is also, in many ways, a commemoration of the "Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day" and the day when the formal diplomatic ties and relations were established between the Republic of the Philippines and the People's Republic of China on June 9, 1975.

In a joint statement between the two countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. recently held a friendly and productive bilateral meeting early this year, wherein they recalled the development of China-Philippines relations, rooted in a history marked by high-level exchanges and enriched by strong economic and people-to-people ties.

During the visit as an expression of sincerity and friendship, BBM vowed to build on the legacy of his late father, working toward bringing China-Philippines relations to a higher level. 

The two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining the good momentum of the bilateral relations, agreed to further strengthen the China-Philippines relationship of Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation under the new circumstances, as close neighbors, kin and partners that help and understand each other towards win-win results through mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to bring the bilateral relations to new heights. 

Among the important points of the two presidents include reaffirming the principles contained in the 1975 China-Philippines Joint Communique and other documents. The Philippines reaffirmed its adherence to the One-China Policy.

Both sides committed to conduct cooperation in the four key priority areas of agriculture, infrastructure, energy and people-to-people exchanges, and pursue additional avenues of cooperation in the areas of defense and security, science and technology, trade and investments.

The Philippines expressed appreciation for China's offer of grants, among other forms of financial support, to fund economic and technical projects in support of the Philippines' socio-economic agenda.

China-Philippines agreed to further increase trade between the two countries, to return and even surpass the pre-pandemic bilateral trade volume. The two leaders highlighted the importance of promoting more balanced trade between the two countries by facilitating greater market access for Philippine exports into China.

The two countries welcomed the signing of numerous agreements between the business sectors, contributing to economic growth and development for both countries; and will continue to promote sustainable and inclusive trade bilaterally and regionally, enhance cooperation in the areas of digital economy and green development.

Likewise, China-Philippines will practice open regionalism and strengthen multilateralism, so as to safeguard the common interests of developing countries as well as global fairness and justice, contributing to building a community with a shared future for all mankind.

Lastly, both sides renewed their commitment toward pursuing stronger political, economic, science and technology, and people-to-people ties, especially leading up to the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations in 2025.

2023-06-01T11:29:14Z dg43tfdfdgfd