By Roy Mabasa
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will conduct an official visit to Davao City on Monday (October 29) for a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, newly appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.
FILE PHOTO: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a news conference during the ongoing National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliamentary body, in Beijing, China March 8, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee/ MANILA BULLETIN
In the morning, Wang is slated to meet with the country’s economic managers led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to discuss potential Chinese investments in the Duterte administration ‘s “Build, Build, Build” projects.
The meeting with economic managers will be immediately followed by an expanded bilateral meeting with Locsin, and the signing of unspecified bilateral documents.
This will be the first time that Wang and Locsin will formally meet since the latter’s appointment was officially announced on October 13. Locsin replaced Alan Peter Cayetano who is seeking a congressional seat in Taguig.
Aside from infrastructure projects, the two sides are expected to discuss a framework on the possible joint exploration in the West Philippine Sea.
Originally scheduled in September, Wang’s visit was deferred when Typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut) lashed through Luzon and later battered southern China and Hong Kong.
His meeting with then Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano was supposed to take place on September 16 to 18.
Wang's forthcoming trip to Davao comes almost two months after the Philippine economic managers visited Beijing.