A high ranking official from the Chinese government is set to meet Philippine officials, including newly-installed Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) chief Enrique Manalo, starting Tuesday, as part of his visit to the various Southeast Asia nations.
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in the Philippines on Tuesday night and will pay a courtesy call on Manalo on Wednesday morning, according to an advisory from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Wang is expected to be the first Foreign Minister to be received by the new Philippine government under the administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the visit would reflect how "China attaches importance to our countries' bilateral relations."
"During the visit, State Councilor Wang Yi will pay courtesy calls on the new leadership and hold talks with new DFA Secretary Manalo, delving extensively into Philippine-China relations, practical cooperation, and regional and international issues," Zhao said.
DFA also said Wang will participate in an expanded bilateral talks with Manalo as well as deliver remarks at the launching of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project and signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Providing Financial Services to Promote the Cooperation between the Stock Exchanges of the Philippines and China.
From July 3 to 14, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair the seventh Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Myanmar and attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Indonesia upon invitation, said Zhao.
The foreign ministry will also pay an official visit to Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia and host the second Meeting of China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism, and chair the 14th Meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation and the sixth Meeting of China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee in Nanning, Guangxi, he added.