PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. is set to fly to China next year.
In a brief statement on Friday, the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) confirmed Marcos will visit China in the first week of Jan. 2023.
“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has accepted the invitation of President Xi Jinping and the People’s Republic of China to visit China on a State Visit on January 3 to 5/6,” the OPS said.
It noted the Chinese government has since confirmed the schedule for the State Visit.
Earlier on Wednesday, Marcos said he intends to raise the issue of the country’s territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) during the 25th Asean Summit with China.
He said he hopes to preserve the status quo in the WPS by securing the commitment of China that it will comply with the Asean Declaration of Conduct of Parties (DOC).
The DOC ensures the peaceful resolution of disputes in the WPS.
Despite the territorial issue, Marcos said he will still push to strengthen the country’s bilateral relations with China.
China said it is looking forward to better cooperation with the country in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and people-to-people exchanges.
Image credits: RTVM via ops.gov.ph