Estrada wraps up shortened China visit

XIAMEN (via PLDT) - President Estrada immediately flew home last night, cutting short his five-day state visit to China following reports of terrorist bombings in Metro Manila and Sulu and deaths from typhoon "Biring."

Press Secretary Ricardo Puno Jr. told reporters yesterday that the Chief Executive would immediately inspect flood-stricken areas in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, which were lashed by Biring and monsoon rains.

"I think the President has decided that considering most of the items in the agenda of his trip have been accomplished and we'll be able to compress the activities, we have done already what we came here for," he said.

However, Puno said that cutting short the trip was not an indication of an emergency, "but there are things back in Manila which the President feels he ought to handle personally."

Ten people were killed and more than 60 wounded in a series of bombings in the Sulu capital of Jolo and in Zamboanga City yesterday, while 10 were wounded in a bomb blast at the Glorietta Mall in Makati last Wednesday.

At least eight people died and 12,000 became homeless following floods in Northern and Central Luzon, which were battered by typhoon Biring.

In his desire to immediately return home, Mr. Estrada skipped three "ceremonial activities" in Shanghai, China's financial and banking center, yesterday.

The Chief Executive begged off from the thanksgiving luncheon at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Shanghai, which was hosted by MetroBank president George Ty.

MetroBank was granted a permit to operate a branch in Shanghai by President Jiang Zemin in an arrangement that would also allow the Bank of China to open a branch in Manila.

At the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Mr. Estrada was also supposed to strike the commemorative bell which the Philippine Stock Exchange donated.

However, the President, along with Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Federation of International Cable TV Association of the Philippines and the Shanghai Bell Co. Ltd. at the lobby of the Jin Jiang Tower Hotel in Shanghai.

The last leg of Mr. Estrada's state visit was this city, where he attended the groundbreaking ceremonies for a planned monument of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal in Jin Jiang.

The Chief Executive and First Lady Luisa Ejercito also visited Asia Brewery and Eton Properties Xiamen Ltd. Bank Centre here, which are owned by Filipino taipan Lucio Tan.

At Xiamen Bank Centre, Mr. Estrada ceremonially placed the eyes on the "Chinese calendar tigers," which were set up in the new 36-storey building.

Before leaving for Manila, Mr. Estrada and his party were treated to a farewell dinner by the Xiamen People's Municipal Government.

Roxas said the agreement between the Cable TV Association of the Philippines and Shanghai Bell will allow the independent cable operators to link up with Shanghai Bell to broaden telecommunications services throughout the Philippines.

'Statistics show when basic services like telecom and power (are set up), the level of economic activity (of a country) rises with it," he said.

Roxas said the other agreements will be formally signed in Manila or Shanghai, depending on the dates to be agreed upon by the different parties.

"These agreements on the substance have been arrived at already," he said. "So the ritual of the signing can be undertaken when convenient either in Manila, if they want President Estrada to witness it, or in Shanghai."

Last Tuesday, the Chief Executive witnessed the signing of five bilateral agreements between the Philippines and China after meeting with Mr. Jiang in Beijing.

These agreements included the Joint Statement on the Framework of Cooperation into the 21st Century, a "soft loan" for $50 million, and a $3-million grant from the Chinese government for agriculture-related projects in the Philippines.

Finance Secretary Jose Pardo said the state visit was overall a success as the President was able to strengthen Philippine-Chinese relations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"It alerted the fact that the Philippines will be an excellent gateway of Chinese trade and investments," he said.

"They (China) feel that the Philippines is a model and excellent partner, but most important, the Filipino-Chinese, as can be seen with their delegation of businessmen and traders with us here, were very well invested in the Philippines, and they can be the rightful conduits."

In Manila, Crispin Beltran, chairman of the militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), said the money that was spent for the President's trip to China should have been used to buy medicine and food for flood victims and refugees from the fighting in Mindanao.

"The gall Estrada has to leave for a junket trip when the state of the country is speedily moving from one level of tragedy to another even higher level of chaos," he said in a statement to reporters yesterday.

"The country was clearly going in a handbasket and that the political atmosphere was very tenuous, the way it felt before martial rule was declared in 1972," - With Cecille Suerte Felipe, AFP