Q: The upcoming state visit by Your Excellency to China will be the most important event in China-Philippines relations this year. This will also be the very first visit by Your Excellency to the Chinese mainland. What is the theme of the visit? What should China and the Philippines do together to make this visit a productive one?
A: When one visits another country and I’d like to thank the People’s Republic (of China) for actually being the first (country) to invite me. On the day of my inauguration there was a formal invitation already to go (to China). Unfortunately we have not been able to act upon it prior to this time.
We want to strengthen bilateral relations. We want to try and remove any situations that will induce a conflict between the two countries. We share quite a lot of things. I think for most Filipinos right now, it will very hard to find a Filipino who doesn’t like to (eat) Chinese food.
For historical purposes, there are paving stones which were used as ballast during ancient times. It’s called by its Spanish name “piedra de china”. And this is still being up to this time. And I’d like to look at that as a symbol of the strength of the relationships that are inherent within the countries that are very close neighbors.
So the end point is that when we look at China, it’s the fourth…third largest trading partner already, fourth in terms of our overseas development assistance. Mutually increasing trade redounds to an increase in living standards of both our peoples. That is one what I want to do everything possible to further increase that. I also believe that increasing prosperity for both our peoples leads to stable relationships which is a goal that every country would want to achieve. Our goal should not be exclusive of anybody else’s goal. Hence fostering of closer, stronger cultural, economic, political ties, in a sense will redound to the benefits of both our peoples. So there is the theme: strengthen the ties, gain greater cooperation in so many fields. When I say so many fields, it’s not just limited to the economic side.
There is, as I understand, long standing offer for assistance to help us even with things like disasters mitigation. We are visited by 23 typhoons on average every year. There’s also assistance being extended for a renewable energy program. There is supposed to be a grant that will help us map wind patterns in the country to find ways to make wind power viable. But for all of these, I don’t know how mature already the negotiations are. Again we welcome all of this assistance which helps us grow. We have a source of trade, two way. We both have things to export to you and also a market for the Chinese products that increases and redounds to an improvement of the standards of living of both peoples.
Q：We have learnt that during this visit, Your Excellency will attend three China-Philippines trade and economic cooperation forums respectively in Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen. This is really a special arrangement for a state visit. We also know that there will be around 300 Philippine businessmen travelling together with you. How do Your Excellency view the current status of China-Philippines economic cooperation? How will the Philippines take this opportunity to further strengthen economic cooperation and trade with China in a spirit of securing mutual benefit?
A: When I was talking to Ambassador Liu before，he did mention that they are undertaking all the preparations. If we bring a 300-member delegation, we will be successful already because there are about 450 who want to join. It gets to be more and more difficult to accommodate everybody. Now, even before we leave, I was given an SMS message by one of my friends. He is a Protestant minister, he has a member of his flock who already indicated that they have 3 deals that, they believe, will be inked or concluded in this visit. So that is just a sample. And he is not even one of the biggest taipans in this country.
Practically, all of the major business groups in this country will be with us in the delegation. I really believe that there are comparative advantages towards both economies. Conclusion of trade agreements among private businesses is just a natural conclusion to the potentials that are already existing. So I’m hoping to proceed from strength to strength. This is just another step of further broadening of especially, the trade aspects within our countries.
Q：As friendly neighboring countries, China and the Philippines have close and historical ties, and our bilateral relations have been flourishing during the last 36 years. How do you define the current China-Philippines relations? What’s your vision, say in the next 5 years of your term, for the development of our bilateral relationship?
A: I think, after 36 years, of course when we first started it out, like any new relationship, it was getting to know you. There are big differences also, political systems, actually just a lack of knowledge about each other.
Now, we have progressed from that point on. The only thing I’m adding perhaps to this relationship is that I’ve been taught that in a dialogue it is important to view the views, the thoughts of the other side if you want to have a fruitful dialogue. It can not be my interest alone and if I talk, and the other guy talks only from his interest alone, then we talk at cross purposes. We don’t communicate. So to be able to have fruitful dialogue, I have to put myself in his situation. If we ask for something, can this person give it? If he asks for something in turn of me, does he recognizes my abilities and limitations also. If we proceed from being concerned with the other dialogue partner, then we do have the possibility of achieving a complete and fruitful dialogue. We want to mature the relationship with the People’s Republic (of China) and its peoples.
Q：It is said that Your Excellency will visit Xiamen, your mother’s hometown, in Fujian province. As we know, President Corazon Aquino made a trip to Fujian to trace her ancestral roots more than 20 years ago, and she once said, “I am not only the President of the Philippines. I am also the daughter of Hongjian.” Did your mother ever talk about the village to you? The villagers in Hongjian are expecting Your Excellency to come back home. What would Your Excellency say to them?
A：Perhaps it’s time to share a bit of history, humorous at that. One of the members of my mother’s cabinet was a person who really ate a lot, so in the visit that my mother did there was an offering towards the ancestors of various fruits. And then when they were going home, this cabinet member was eating, I don’t know if it was an orange or an apple, and my mother inquired,“Where did you get that apple?”. And the cabinet secretary said, “Mam, there was a whole table full of these fruits, so I took one of them.” And my mother said, “Do you know that those are offerings to my ancestors? Why did you partake of this?” Well. That’s a bit of humour.
I understand my mother planted a tree about over twenty years ago. It should be really big quite a tall tree now. So I would like to thank those who took care of it. And we have a saying in Filipino that those who don’t remember their past will not be able to get their future. So those are the roots my great great great great or great great great grandfather came from there. Our culture has undoubtedly been enriched by all of these interactions stretching through the centuries. One would definitely benefit from renewing the ties and "retracing" the root.
Their community produced my ancestor who was nurtured enough to be able to endeavor enough the entrepreneurial ability to cross the oceans, come here and really make a successful life for himself. I would like to thank them for giving him the impetus to travel to the Philippines to start our roots here and without that effort, I would not be here right now.
Q：Since Your Excellency took office, China-Philippines relations have encountered a handful of issues. It’s encouraging to see that our strategic and cooperative relationship stood the tests. During the past months, we have seen a heated round of debate on the South China Sea issue. We’ve heard various comments on the issues and many options have been proposed to solve that. We know an agreement is not easy to achieve. Do you believe our two countries can deal with the issue in a way that our relations will not be sabotaged?
A：Can we deal with it? Yes. Both sides have said that we would conform to the international law with regards with to the south china sea issue. Both countries want to resolve it in a peaceful manner. Both would want to champion the national interests. But at the same time, we are cognizant of the interest of the other party. So there is a willingness to explore all of these possibilities.
I don’t see why the relationships would be sabotaged. I don’t think that it redounds to anybody's interest to have conflict within these disputed areas. And I guess like, like perhaps I can use the analogy of marriage. It said that there are couples who have been together 50 years and they are still getting to know each other. So, perhaps the conflicts provide an opportunity also to have the test that makes for a stronger relationship. Upset are these tests. And then you have a relationship that stagnates, doesn’t grow, doesn’t mature. And perhaps whenever I’m confronted with a problem, that’s my philosophy, ever since assuming this office that has really been quite a change in my attitude, every problem presents opportunities. And I guess that it is the interest of both sides to exploit the opportunities that the problem presented. And after coming out of the resolution of that problem, then both parties are stronger for it and even the relationship can be enhanced by it.
Q：The year 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relationship. The past two decades witnessed fruitful cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between China and ASEAN countries, the Philippines included. How do Your Excellency view the growing China-ASEAN relationship? How does this relationship bear on China-Philippines relationship? What’s the significance of having a strong China-ASEAN relationship in a regional perspective?
A：China is really something that could be barely emulated in the past decade or so. I understand the GDP has increased almost to the tune of 10% per annum. So in the 10 years, it has doubled in effect. And you can witness it when you go around the country. So many Chinese automobiles, for instance, some of the latest products that have entered the Philippine market. They have come in at a more affordable price point, making having an automobile more reachable by our citizenry. And in effect their lives or the quality of their lives has already been enhanced. Being able to participate in China's growth by way of trade has also increased our own market. Therefore, this has really been a contributing factor in increasing the standards of living of so many communities, especially those, for instance, areas that are rich in minerals.
Now, where do I see the relationship going again, my main premise is this: when you have continually improving living standards, then the whole populace will be geared towards even further increasing standards of living and the only way to be able to achieve that is really through trade, cross-cultural pollination, the interaction and if we are able again to make the relationship more mature where we become not just friends but bosom friends or very old friends. Then that redounds again and, that is the focus, that redounds to further improving the lot of both of our peoples and that is a worthwhile goal that we are both committed to.
Q：China’s development attracts the growing attention from the world. Some even voiced their concern about China’s rise. May I seek your view on China? Do you also believe that China’s economic power will make it more assertive and aggressive in handling relations with its neighboring countries and the world at large? For the Philippines, how do you view China, more as a challenge, a competitor, or an opportunity, a partner?
A：It can be all of the above. But I guess the direct answer is this why is China embarking on this route? And, at the end of the day，the people are happier，the people are more content．Now if china were to change the way it dealt with the rest of the nations in the world then… I’m sorry. Let me trying now to rewind it so to make it clearer.
The Americans have a saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If something is not broken, if something works, why change it? So again I go back to this decade of 10% growth in GDP annually, which is not something achieved by too many countries, that has improved a lot of every Chinese citizen and there was a particular method towards attaining this. I really would think it would be the height of being illogical if china were to do everything in an opposite way.
There might be moves to enhance their competitive method. Their definite desire for increasing and growing economy will always be there. Therefore, the formula that worked will be perpetuated perhaps improved upon. That’s how we look at China. And in the process of your goal, we also benefit economically. Then it is to our interest to enhance these relationships.