President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. arrived in Beijing, China on Tuesday night, January 3 for his three-day state visit.
On board PR 001, Marcos together with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and the entire Philippine delegation landed in Beijing at 6:10 PM.
In photos shared by the Office of the Press Secretary, the President is seen being welcomed by China's Minister of Agriculture and Rural affairs Tang Renjian.
During his pre-departure speech at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, Marcos said he will seek to strengthen the ties between the country and China by broadening the cooperation in areas including agriculture, energy, infrastructure, science and technology, and trade and investment.
“I look forward to my meeting with President Xi [Jin Ping] as we work towards shifting the trajectory of our relations to a higher gear that would hopefully bring numerous prospects and abundant opportunities for peace and development to the peoples of both our countries," he said.
Marcos said he also looks forward to discussing and resolving “political security issues of a bilateral and regional nature” with Xi Jin Ping.
At least 10 key bilateral agreements are expected to be signed during his state visit, he said
Marcos pushed through with the state visit despite the spike in COVID-19 cases in China.
His state visit to China will mark his first foreign trip in 2023 and his first state visit outside the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
