Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo will sign three agreements with the Chinese government during President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s state visit to China.
Ma. Teresita Daza, DFA spokesperson, told reporters that the country's top diplomat, who will join the President in his state visit, is expected to sign the following:
• Memorandum of Understanding on Belt and Road Initiative;
• Memorandum of Understanding on Communication Mechanism on Maritime Issues; and
• the Joint Action Plan on Agricultural and Fisheries Cooperation on behalf of the Department of Agriculture,
In a recent press briefing, DFA Assistant Secretary for Asia and Pacific Affairs Neal Imperial said renewing the Philippine agreement to join China's Belt and Road Initiative as well as establishing a "hotline" to handle South China Sea concerns are expected to be delivered during the trip.
The establishment of the said hotline, which will link the office of the foreign ministries of the two countries, aimed to avoid “miscalculation and miscommunication” in the contested waters of the South China Sea, he added.