"China and the Philippines are not only neighbors, we are also close relatives with a history of friendly exchanges and profitable trade for more than millennium. When looking at the map, some people would say, China and the Philippines are separated by the South China Sea. I would rather say that China and Philippines are connected and united by the South China Sea. For hundreds and thousands of years, our peoples have forged profound friendship and kinship by ways of the South China Sea. Our businessmen have prospered by conducting trade through the South China Sea. Our two nations' fates were closely connected when we fought for our independence and dignity against colonization and aggression by foreign powers whose warships invaded our shores mostly through the South China Sea," Ambassador Zhao said.

    The Ambassador also encouraged a paradigm shift that can grasp and stick to the theme of peace, development, cooperation, harmony, and mutual benefit.

    "The paradigm shift is being exemplified by the Belt and Road Initiative raised by Preisdent Xi Jinping… China and the Philippines should be united as partners by the 21^st-Century Maritime Silk Road," he said.

    The Ambassador also talked about the need for an enhanced bilateral relationship. With the newly elected administration, China is ready to import more from the Philippines, to increase investments in the area of infrastructure development, industrial cooperation, and agriculture through the AIIB and the Silk Road Fund, and to increase the number of Chinese tourists in the country.

   "Ever since President Duterte took office, China and the Philippines have been engaging in friendly interactions, which have yielded a series of positive results. The clouds are fading away. The sun is rising over the horizon, and will shine beautifully on the new chapter of bilateral relations," the Ambassador added.