Consular Services Appointment System
ASEAN Consulates set sights on enhanced visibility, clout in Shanghai and Yangtze River Delta Region
Shanghai – Philippine Consul General Josel F. Ignacio and the seven other Shanghai-based Consuls General of ASEAN Member States have agreed to a collective and coordinated campaign to raise ASEAN’s visibility and sway in the Chinese financial capital and the larger, equally dynamic Yangtze River Delta Region.
The consensus was reached at a working dinner hosted by Thai Consul General Lada Phumas at her Official Residence in Changning District on 7 July. Auguring well for the effort, all eight ASEAN Consuls General made time from their respective full calendars to prioritize this assembly and demonstrate their respective missions’ solidarity.
Currently, eight of 10 ASEAN countries maintain consular missions in Shanghai. Their Consuls General are Mr. Neang Samrithkomar (Cambodia), Mr. Deny Wachyudi Kurnia (Indonesia), Mr. Bouaphat Phoutthavong (Lao PDR), Mr. Syed Farizal Aminy bin Syed Mohamad (Malaysia), Mr. Josel Francisco Ignacio (Philippines), Mr. Chua Teng Hoe (Singapore) and Mr. Ninh Thanh Cong (Vietnam).
The move comes at an auspicious year for relations between ASEAN and China relations, which are celebrating this year the 30th anniversary of Dialogue Relations, and as ASEAN missions prepare to commemorate the 54th Founding Anniversary of ASEAN on 8th August 2021.
The Philippines is currently Coordinator Country for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, a position it will relinquish in August, after three years. In this capacity, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr., co-chaired with Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi on 07 June 2021, the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Dialogue Relations in Chongqing. END
"Tales of the Manuvu" special streaming, 16-18 July 2021
The Department of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, invites everyone to the special streaming of the rock opera ballet “Tales of the Manuvu” featuring Ballet Philippines and Radioactive Sago Project. The classic presentation tells the story of creation of the Indigenous Peoples of Manobo. Choreography and libretto by National Artists Alice Reyes and Bienvenido Lumbera respectively.
Catch it for 72 hours starting 12:01 am on 16 July at https://tinyurl.com/DFA-Tales-of-the-Manuvu.
Ganyu District (Jiangsu) bats for expanded Cross-Border E-Commerce with PH
Shanghai, 9 July 2021 – Keen to ride the wave ridden by other booming Chinese e-commerce hubs, Ganyu District in Lianyugang city, Jiangsu Province, is exploring enhanced cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) links with the Philippines.
Calling on the Consulate General today, a government-business delegation led by Ganyu District Deputy Governor Mr. XU Bei, Zhewang Town Mayor Mme. ZHANG Lai Tao laid out plans for an app-based e-commerce platform to facilitate e-commerce with the Philippines. Also part of the blueprint is a fully-functional CBEC industrial park by 2025 that will host and incubate enterprises.
Consul General Ignacio, Economic Officer Consul Conrado B. Demdem, Jr., Commercial Vice Consul Mario Tani and Tourism Attaché Ireneo Reyes met the visitors. Rounding off the Ganyu side were Zhewang Town People’s Congress Vice Chairman Mr. LIU Shan Liang, Ben-Agriculture Industrial Group Chairman WANG Pei Chao, Philippine Uni-Steady Exim Corp. representative Mr. CHEN Si Jie, and , and businessman Mr. Paul Dean SHI, an importer of Philippine food products.
Consul General Ignacio welcomed Ganyu officials’ interest and the potential win-win for both the Philippines and Ganyu in terms of capitalizing on the economic rewards of CBEC. “If realized, the Philippine merchandise exports gain an important additional gateway into the Chinese market. Online platforms afford our goods better visibility, exposure and access.” Ganyu, for its part, gets to advance its stock as a rising e-commerce player among Chinese localities.
Ganyu is a port town strategically located along the Yellow Sea on the northernmost coast of Jiangsu. The province is second only to Guangdong in terms of provincial GDP and significantly, in terms of imports from the Philippines.
Located in Lianyungang City, Ganyu District, home to 1.2 million people, has for its main industries oil, iron and steel, processed seafood, and reused plastic materials.
With a GDP of RMB 15.3 billion (USD 2.35 billion) in 2020, it was one of the Top 100 districts in China. In 2020, Ganyu District’s CBEC industry recorded a retail value of RMB 3 billion (USD 461.5 million) mainly from trade in agricultural, apparel, and footwear products. Supported by the provincial government’s favorable policies on CBEC, it has bonded warehouses, professional cross-border e-commerce teams, and a vibrant live streaming economy. END