BEIJING, China —President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. expressed hope that China will continue to invest in the Philippines.

Marcos stated this during his meeting with China’s National People’s Congress Chairman Li Zhanshu here on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

"We hope that China will continue to invest in the Philippines. We have, in the Philippines, made very, very big policy changes... we have made some major shifts especially in legislation as well so as to be able to restyle government into something that is more efficient and it is more sustainable," Marcos said in his remark during the meeting.

He mentioned this as he was citing the "many opportunities" the Philippines and China can work on together, including strengthening their cooperation at "every level."

The President also said that China has been involved in government-to-government cooperation with the Philippines and its private sector in trade and infrastructure programs.

The strong connection between the two countries has become more and more infinite as time goes on, the President said, highlighting the increasing trade and economic cooperation between the Philippines and China.

Marcos told Li that the two countries must look upon the next few years as years of opportunity and that the two nations have been given an opportunity to remake their global economy together under a new normal.

He further said that he always believes that the relationship of the two countries in the next few years will be partnerships that will stabilize and strengthen both economies to be able to face various challenges.

Although there are some disagreements, Marcos said the two countries must not allow them to be "the sum" of their relationship.

The relationship must extend to commerce, culture, education, trade and investment, as well as people-to-people exchanges, he stressed.

'Very positive engagement'

Meanwhile, House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the meeting with Li was a very positive engagement, which, he hopes, would result in more engagements and exchanges between the legislative bodies of China and the Philippines.

Romualdez said in an interview that Li encouraged both sides to have high-level exchanges, believing that the relationship should be deepened and strengthened through the legislative bodies.

“So that’s why we will look forward to the invitations that have actually been extended in the previous years but due to Covid, it did not materialize,” Romualdez said.

“But now that China is opening up this year, we look forward to seeing these engagements and these exchanges between the Congress of China and the Congress and Senate of the Philippines come to fruition in the year 2023," he added.