‘O Sole Mio’ caps cordial talks between GMA, Jiang

BEIJING — Visiting President Arroyo and her Chinese counterpart Jiang Zemin chose yesterday to focus on issues that united their two countries, underlining the harmonious atmosphere with a bilingual rendering of "O Sole Mio."

Meeting in this city’s Great Hall of the People, the two leaders agreed that simmering disputes over the South China Sea should not be allowed to disturb the overall relationship, before joining in a duet, accompanied by an accordion.

"President Jiang Zemin sang ‘O Sole Mio’ in Italian, and I sang it in English at the same time," Mrs. Arroyo said at a press conference after the meeting.

"It really just shows how cordial the relationship between our two countries is... we do share common dreams, love of music, and it really highlights that we are blood brothers," she said.

The Chinese president’s baritone complemented Mrs. Arroyo’s English version of the old opera hit, "It’s Now or Never."

As Mrs. Arroyo had pledged before the meeting, the agenda included the South China Sea and its potentially oil-rich Spratly Islands, the focus of conflicting claims by China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

"Both China and the Philippines have agreed that this one irritant should not be the main characteristic of our relationship with each other," Mrs. Arroyo said.

"We have many, many other good things going between us –trade, investment, technical cooperation, cultural ties, historical ties," she said.

Both countries wished to seek a solution to the islands dispute by peaceful means, and would take into account not only themselves, but also other claimants to the Spratlys area, she said.

Jiang agreed the Spratlys dispute should not overshadow the fact that both countries share common interests as developing countries, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency.

"The two sides should calmly and properly deal with these issues, not allowing them to undermine the bilateral relationship and basic interests of the two countries," Jiang was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

Aside from the "O Sole Mio" duet, the two presidents dished out their respective solo numbers: Mrs. Arroyo sang "Minamahal Kita" and "I Have You" by the Carpenters, while Jiang rendered two Chinese opera songs with gusto.

Mrs. Arroyo admitted that she had no previous experience in singing before an audience, so that she hired a coach who also selected the songs she sang at the state dinner.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who is part of the official delegation, said the President was even rehearsing her songs on the plane en route to Beijing.

Mrs. Arroyo said her song numbers were even more difficult than having to speak before the World Economic Forum in Hong Kong and her one-on-one meeting with Jiang that preceded the state dinner.

But she said she had to sing for the sake of diplomacy and good camaraderie.

Mrs. Arroyo is on a three-day trip to China, her third official visit abroad since becoming president.

She started talks with Jiang late in the afternoon, after an official ceremony overlooking the vast Tiananmen Square, and the subsequent talks appeared to start off on a friendly footing.

Mrs. Arroyo complemented the Chinese president on his English language skills and said he had been "the leading player" during last month’s summit of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shanghai.

She described her one-on-one with Jiang as "a most cordial meeting."

The two governments signed three agreements Tuesday linked to the common fight against drug crime.

Mrs. Arroyo said the pacts –on extradition, on the fight against narcotics, and the combat against transnational crime –could have a major impact on the Philippine government’s war on drugs.

"It is no longer our lonely fight, because now China has joined us in this fight," Mrs. Arroyo said at the press conference.

She also asked that clemency be granted to one of 11 Filipino prisoners now languishing in Chinese jails.

According to her, it was customary for a visiting head of state to ask for clemency for some nationals serving sentences in the host country.

When she reviewed the cases of the 11 inmates, only one was not drug-related. "I only asked for clemency to the one whose offense was not related to drugs," she said.

Other agreements signed during the day included pacts on boosting two-way trade, among others, Xinhua said.

Earlier Tuesday, Mrs. Arroyo met with Li Peng, chairman of China’s national parliament, also in the Great Hall of the People.

And before she left Beijing yesterday to visit the southern city of Guangzhou en route to Manila, the President met with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji.

She was due to enplane home last night from Guangzhou.