PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will be going to Beijing, China for a state visit on January 3 to 5, his first foreign trip for 2023, an official from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed Thursday.
In a press briefing, DFA Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Nathaniel Imperial said the President’s state visit is upon the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Ang ating ugnayang panlabas sa China ay napakaimportante and we have received assurances from our Chinese host that all arrangements are being made to ensure the safety of the President and the delegation during the visit,” Imperial told members of the Malacañang Press Corps.
Imperial said it will be the first bilateral visit of President Marcos to a non-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) country since assuming the Presidency in July.
It will also be the second face-to-face meeting between the two heads of state in less than two months.
“There is an expectation that the state visit will set the tone of bilateral relations between the two countries in the next five to six years,” according to the DFA official.
The state visit is also set to reaffirm the “cordial and neighborly” relations between Manila and Beijing as well as “ensure continuity in many facets of the bilateral relationship and chart new areas of engagement.”
“It is also expected to build on the growing trade and investment ties between the two economies as well as address security issues of mutual concern,” Imperial pointed out.
Imperial assured that a “bubble arrangement” has been agreed upon “to minimize the risk of exposure to the virus (coronavirus).”
The President will be joined by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy and other members of the Cabinet
