Noy off to Indonesia, Singapore in March

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino will embark on state visits to Indonesia and Singapore from March 7 to 11, Malacañang said.

Sources, meanwhile, said the President’s trip to China has been set for May and that there are no indications that it would be scrapped because of the current issues involving Beijing and Taiwan.

China earlier postponed the execution of three overseas Filipino workers on death row for drug smuggling.

But the Philippines has to deal with Taiwan’s fury over its decision to deport 14 Taiwanese nationals accused of large-scale fraud to Beijing rather than to Taipei.

In December, the President announced his wish to visit China, saying the country was among the first to invite him after his inauguration in June.

But he said his trips to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-countries have to come first because heads of states in the region have been egging him to visit their countries. Also on his priority list are Thailand and Malaysia. – With Delon Porcalla, Jose Rodel Clapano