President-elect Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on Friday called China the Philippines' "strongest partner" among other nations who helped the country in its economic recovery.
The incoming president made the remark at the Award for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding event in Makati, where he was invited as the guest speaker. The event was also attended by Chinese officials and members of the Filipino-Chinese community.
"And to come to the day that we can say, we have, we are beyond the pandemic crisis, we are beyond the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic, we can only do it, certainly in the Philippines we can do it with our partners, and our strongest partner has always been, in that regard, our close neighbor and our good friend, the People’s Republic of China," Marcos said in his speech.
The former senator said he sees the future of the two countries as "developing in many ways."
"As we try to make our way in the post-pandemic world… each country will not be able to thrive, to survive and to thrive by itself. We have developed such a close global community both in politics, both in diplomacy, also in business. And so that it is not possible any longer for a single country to make its own way and say that they will succeed," he noted.
"I truly believe that it is the partnerships and alliances that we as a country will make with our friends and allies and partners around the world that will keep the stability of our economic recovery," he added.
Marcos also vowed to continue what "Duterte has started" when it comes to independent foreign policy. The current administration is known for being too friendly to China amid the numerous protests filed by the country against it.
"Perhaps, we will continue what President Duterte has started, what has been described as an independent foreign policy, and this is what we feel is best in the national interest and I think it is to be advantageous not only to our friends in China but to all our friends around the world," he said.
He is set to succeed Duterte whose term is about to expire on June 30, 2022.
Marcos' statement comes after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) lodged another diplomatic protest against China over its activities in the Ayungin Shoal, which lies inside the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
