Phl-China Years of Friendly Exchanges launched

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario led on Tuesday the launching of 2012-2013 as Philippines-China Years of Friendly Exchanges (YFE).

During his state visit to China last year, President Aquino and Chinese President Hu Jintao designated the years 2012 and 2013 as the Philippines-China Years of Friendly Exchanges.

The next two years will see more exchanges between government officials, legislators, the youth, entrepreneurs, educators, media practitioners, artists, athletes, to strengthen understanding and mutual trust between the two countries and peoples.

Some 250 guests from the diplomatic corps, government officials, the Filipino-Chinese community, business leaders, academe and cultural personalities, and members of the media attended the launching event.

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing and Vice Minister for Agriculture Niu Dun, Special Envoy to the Philippine launch of the YFE, led the Chinese guests at the launching program.

Washington Sycip, a respected member of the Filipino-Chinese community and an internationally recognized business leader, was the keynote speaker. Sycip is one of the founders of SGV and the Asian Institute of Management.

Ballet Philippines, one of the participating organizations in the YFE, performed excerpts from their repertoire, like Mutya ng Pasig, Init ng Halik and Tambol at Padyak. The Cultural Center of the Philippines also participated actively at the event.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) will host the China launching of the friendly exchanges in Beijing in April.

“Today’s launch of the Years of Friendly Exchanges is a most fitting tribute to our long history of amity, and a testament to our two countries’ resolve to tread that path of harmonious and just relations,” del Rosario said.

Ambassador Ma said it is the sincere hope from the Chinese side to enhance the friendship and cooperation through the two-year events because “we have a lot of mutual interests at stake, to improve mutual understanding, mutual trust and mutual cooperation.

“We are not only geographically but historically so close to each other, so we have other reasons and also the advantage to engage in an even closer cooperation with each other. At the end of the day, economic development begins the development of a nation and the well-being of the people is the top priority for any government,” Ma said.

“We have confidence that after these events the mutual understanding and mutual trust will be enhanced,” she added.

She said that plans of the YFE include cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Ballet Philippines (BP) and the National Ballet of China (NBC) will have a two-year exchange that begins with the NBC performing with BP in Manila in July, and BP performing in China in 2013.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China will invite a delegation of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to visit China. The Chinese Ministry of Education will sponsor 70 scholarship programs.

The PAFFC proposed to hold China-Philippines Sisterhood Provinces/Cities Forum in 2013, and has set up the Association of Philippines Friendly Exchanges during the YFE.

The General Administration of Sport of China will invite a Philippine basketball team for a friendly competition to China in 2012. There will also be a Film Week, and then Philippines will hold the 1st Philippine Cultural Festival in Guangzhou.

Exchanges in tourism, commerce and trade, defense, disaster relief, poverty alleviation, and law enforcement are also being arranged.

There will also be more exchanges of diplomats, especially young diplomats, and exchange visits of former ambassadors.