Senior Chinese leader arrives today

Senior House leaders will lead lawmakers this afternoon in welcoming senior Chinese leader Wu Guanzheng leading a seven-man delegation for a four-day official visit in the country.

The welcome ceremonies for Mr. Wu and his party will be held at the Dignitaries’ Lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Parañaque City.

House leaders will also host a dinner for the Chinese delegation and present Wu, senior member of the standing committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPC, the Congressional Medal of Achievement at ceremonies at the Manila Hotel in Manila.

To accompany Speaker Jose de Venecia are Bulacan Rep. Lorna Silverio, chairwomann of the House committee on inter-parliamentary diplomacy and her vice chairman, Ilocos Norte Rep. Roque Ablan Jr.

The Chinese leader is scheduled for a courtesy call at Malacañang with President Arroyo at noon tomorrow and in a meeting with Senate President Franklin Drilon later in the afternoon.

Wu will be joined by a senior staff from the International Department of the Central Committee (IDCC) headed by Director General Wu Shumin.

Among those in the Chinese delegation are Wang Jiarui, IDCC minister; Gan Yisheng, member and secretary general of the standing committee of the IDCC’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection; Wu Yuping, member of the standing committee of the IDCC; Bai Ma, deputy secretary general of Qinghai provincial committee of the CPC and ambassador to the Philippines Wu Hongbo.

De Venecia said Mr. Wu’s visit "will further strengthen" bilateral relations and parliamentary cooperation between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China.

Mrs. Arroyo and De Venecia were in Beijing early last month during the third International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) which issued the Beijing Declaration calling for a relief strategy for debt-saddled nations.

Mrs. Arroyo addressed the opening ceremony of the ICAPP, hosted by the CPC, as chairman of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats while De Venecia, as Lakas president and ICAPP founding chairman, presided over the meeting of the standing committee of Asia’s various political parties. — Delon Porcalla