GOVPH

Notice of Hearing 19 July 2021

CONSULATE GENERAL, SILK ROAD CITIES ALLIANCE MOOT IDEAS FOR PROMOTING PH-CHINA BUSINESS, HEALTH AND CULTURAL LINKS

Shanghai, 29 June 2021 – Officials of the Silk Road Cities Alliance (SRCA) led by former Chinese Consul General in Cebu SONG Ronghua called on the Consulate General today to discuss proposed activities to help further boost PH-China cooperation and exchanges.

Founded in 2014 by Mr. Song himself, the SCRA is an NGO dedicated to promoting deeper cooperation with countries, with a focus on those taking part in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

In 2018, during the Manila visit of President Xi Jinping the Philippines and China entered into an MOU on Cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative.

Mr. Song and colleagues were received by Consul General Josel F. Ignacio, Economic Officer Consul Conrado B. Demdem, Jr., and Commercial Vice Consul Mario Tani. The SRCA founder said “the time was ripe to explore more areas of cooperation” with the Consulate General, given the “new era of (PH-China) relations under the new circumstances.” He outlined a number of proposals for cooperation with the Philippines and the Consulate General, such as the sharing of healthcare expertise, the promotion of Philippine cuisine and food products in China, reciprocal tourism, exchanges of artists and performers, and others.

Consul General Ignacio welcomed SCRA’s proposed initiatives, remarking that people-to-people and cultural exchanges were “an important part of the overall relationship” between the Philippines and China, and underpinned other key aspects of relations, including business-to-business ties.

In his capacity as Director of PTIC-Shanghai, Commercial Vice Consul Tani also expressed readiness to work with the SRCA, particularly relative to the upcoming 4^th iteration of the annual China International Import Expo (CIIE) in November. Vice Consul Tani cited food products to be the Philippines’ priority at the CIIE.

Mr. Song, who also co-founded the Beijing Belt and Road Cooperative Community, has had a long history of official and personal ties with the Philippines, concluding his diplomatic career with a stint as China’s Consul General in Cebu in 2015.

Before taking his leave, Mr. Song took the opportunity to sign the condolence book opened by the Consulate General that very day in honor of the late former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, becoming the Consulate’s first guest to do so. END

CONSULATE GENERAL SHARES INSIGHTS ON BELT AND ROAD COOPERATION; SHANGHAI’S ROLE AT DIPLOMATIC CULTURAL EXCHANGE EVENT

Shanghai, 28 June 2021 – The Consulate General of the Philippines accentuated the vibrancy of Philippines-China economic and people-to-people relations and Shanghai’s keystone role in propelling these facets of ties, at the Belt and Road Forum on Sustainable Development held on 26 June in Qingpu District.

The Forum was part of the three-day 2021 Foreign Diplomats International Cultural And Artistic Exchange Tour organized on 25-27 June by the Beijing-based media outfit Home and Abroad News Press (HANP) in partnership with Shanghai-based World Handicraft Industry Exposition Park.

The Philippines was among the countries represented at the event, which included Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Togo.

Consul General Josel F. Ignacio guested in VIP Dialogue Session 2, together with the Consuls General of Iran and Cuba. Addressing the topic “How to use Shanghai's advantages to promote the "Belt and Road" cooperation in various sectors between China and participating countries?”, he underscored China as “one of (the Philippines’) most important partners bilaterally and regionally”, and extolled the country’s trade and business engagements with Shanghai as a “mirror of the healthy overall Philippines-China bilateral relationship.”

Since 2018, Shanghai has been the third largest market for Philippine products on mainland China, according to the Consul General. It has also been home to China operations of major Philippine companies such as Liwayway (China) Co. Ltd., Dai-Ichi Electronics Shanghai Co. Ltd., and Metrobank. “Philippine companies were in fact among the first to manifest their confidence in the promise of China’s reform and opening up”, he proudly declared.

The Consul General wrapped up his remarks by proffering thoughts on maximizing the synergies between the Belt and Road Initiative and ASEAN’s Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025.  

The day prior, the Consul General, with Consul Conrado B. Demdem, Jr., and Commercial Vice Consul Mario Tani, joined the ceremonial launch of National Pavilions to be housed at a new exhibition hall under construction at the World Handicraft Industry Exposition Park in Qingpu. slated to open in October this year. The Philippines was among 15 countries allocated gratis pavilions.

Capping the activities was a tour on 27 June of Zhujiajiao, dubbed the “Venice of Shanghai.” Consul Demdem, Commercial Vice Consul Tani, and Consulate General Administrative Officer Ronald Villanueva joined counterparts in a tour of the 1,700-year old water town and its famous Buddhist temple, old houses and shops lining the waterways, intricately-designed rock bridges, and traditionally attired boatmen expertly navigating their gondolas along the narrow tributaries. END