China’s newly-installed ambassador in Manila recently talked to Senator Rodante Marcoleta in a meeting focused on strengthening the Philippines-China partnership and stressing that cooperation among nations must not be about military alignments.
Marcoleta bared sitting down with Chinese Ambassador to Manila Jing Quan in a Facebook post on Saturday, Jan. 10.
“For cooperation, stability and peace,” Marcoleta said, describing the purpose of the meeting.
The senator said he outlined priorities that were aimed at improving the relations between the two nations. These included stability, expanding economic cooperation, energy transition, managing maritime disputes, and advancing green and technology-driven investments.
On renewable energy, Marcoleta said he was interested in adapting energy models similar to China's Three Gorges experience to lower electricity costs and expand energy access in the Philippines.
A dam in China, Three Gorges is the world's largest hydroelectric power station that uses 34 generators to produce massive amounts of clean energy, reducing coal reliance and powering millions. It generates huge amounts of annual electricity, standing as a major symbol of renewable energy.
Marcoleta also said talks of industrial development were also tackled. Noting the Philippines' reliance on raw material exports, particularly nickel that is being shipped to China, the senator proposed moving toward domestic processing, technology transfer, and higher-value manufacturing.
Then, Marcoleta voiced out the importance of negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) on the South China Sea, as it can expand investment and technology opportunities.
"Ambassador Jing Quan reiterated China's support for the Philippines’ independent foreign policy that relations should not be viewed as a zero-sum choice between China and the United States," Marcoleta's Facebook post said.
"In line with the ambassador's statement, Sen. Marcoleta stressed that cooperation among nations is more critical than military alignments," it added.