LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte – Ilocos Norte officials led by Gov.  Matthew Marcos Manotoc left for China to attend the ASEAN Investment and Trade Conference at Dezhou City in Shandong province. Gervy James Gumarit, head of the Communication and Media Office (CMO) of the Ilocos Norte provincial government, said the team of Manotoc left on May 15 and will stay there for a trade mission until May 21. The trade mission in China aims to forge alliances with foreign provinces to promote business opportunities, create linkages, and maintain ties between the province of Ilocos Norte and the provinces of Shandong and Guangdong. During the second day of their stay in China, Manotoc, along with the representatives from Ilocos Norte, met local officials, ambassadors, and executives from private businesses and enterprises of Shandong to discuss potential investments and trade collaborations. Manotoc also delivered his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Investment and Trade Conference anchored on the theme “Sharing RCEP Opportunities, Embracing Future of Cooperation.” “First and foremost, we extend our deepest and sincerest gratitude to the Province of Shandong and to Dezhou City for being our generous hosts. It is a great honor to participate in this event with other leaders from the People’s Republic of China and the ASEAN,” said  Manotoc. “Over the past years, we have welcomed delegates from the Shandong government for forums, discussions, and agreements toward strengthening our priority sectors. This has led to the increased impact of our cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, tourism, trade and commerce, and education,” he added. The governor also met Deputy Governor of Shandong,  Wang Guiying, along with the leaders of Dezhou City, to follow up on the action plan and possibly for forming partnerships, particularly in infrastructure, construction, and food processing and manufacturing. This plan was initially discussed during his first visit to China last 2019. Manotoc attended the Shandong-Ilocos Norte Trade and Investment Promotions Conference, where the heads of the provincial government’s Investments, Tourism, Agriculture, and Quarry offices were presented to over 100 private enterprises or businesses. The governor also visited the tomb of Paduka Batara, the sultan of Sulu, to offer a wreath as a sign of respect to the first king from the modern-day Philippines who was buried in China. Batara’s tomb is considered a national historical site by the Shandong provincial government and is a symbol of the strong and flourishing ties between the Philippines and China. The Ilocos Norte delegation is also set to travel to the province of Guangdong to meet officials and stakeholders.