Manalo urges Fil-Chi community to promote PH, China relations
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo has cited the importance of the Filipino-Chinese community in maintaining the Philippines' diplomatic relations with China.
During the reopening of Bahay Tsinoy Museum in Manila on Monday, Manalo said the "community is a source of honesty and sincerity that cuts across our people-to-people ties and bilateral ties with China."
His pronouncement came as the Philippines' relations with China is challenged by the two countries' dispute over the West Philippine Sea, which is part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone that China claims as its own.
"After all, at the end of the day, diplomacy is really about relations between and among peoples," Manalo added.
He then urged the Filipino-Chinese community to support the Philippines' "diplomatic efforts to enhance our ties with China and to manage our differences."
"In order to preserve the peaceful and constructive relations between the Philippines and China..., looking back at our past and studying how our communities evolved through the centuries-old interactions between our peoples should inspire us to continue advocating for peace and cooperation," he said.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, who also led the event, also noted the history between Filipino and Chinese peoples that was of "shared destiny and friendship."
"Throughout the long history of the Filipino people's resistance against colonial powers and aggressors, Chinese and local Filipinos have stood shoulder to shoulder shedding blood and making great sacrifices," Huang said.
"The legacy of a history spanning over a thousand years will never fade," he added.
Huang called on the public to work together and "carry forward the profound love and dedication of forefathers to this land."
He said the community must recount the stories of close kinship between the two peoples "whose blood is thicker than water, and to implement the important consensus between the leaders of our two countries on promoting cultural exchanges between China and the Philippines."