China’s Ambassador to the Philippine Jing Quan said he will work closely with the Marcos administration to boost travel and cultural exchanges and stabilize the bilateral ties between their two countries.

“Together, we hope to work even closely to bring the bilateral relations back to the normal track,” Jing said during the Cultural Shaanxi-Charm of the Silk Road Legacy presentation held at the Aliw Theater on Thursday, March 19.

He lamented that before the pandemic in 2019, China was the Philippines’ second largest source of visitors with 1.7 million arrivals. But by the end of 2025, the number fell to a mere 262,000.

Jing lauded the Philippine government’s announcement of a 14-day visa free policy to Chinese visitors and called it a “positive step for people-to-people exchange.”

He announced the start of direct flights between Xiamen and Cebu on March 29 and direct services from Chongqing to Manila via Air China starting on May 1, “offering a faster and more convenient travel for passengers.”

“We will make good use of the visa-free policy while actively preventing and managing risks to ensure safe travel,” the diplomat said.

“China and the Philippines are neighbors. We should learn from each other, help each other, and respect each other. We are both very kind people and there is no reason for two peoples to hate each other. They should always like each other,” he added.

Jing expressed hope for more Filipinos to visit China to see its technology, ride the high-speed trains, enjoy its landscapes and cuisines, insisting that “as more people travel between our two countries, misunderstanding will naturally fade.”

Du Jingen, Deputy Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said Shaanxi and the Philippines have forged increasingly vibrant cultural ties to deepen grassroot friendship through joint initiatives in cultural exchange, intangible cultural heritage, exhibitions and performances, museum exchanges and artistic performances.

“We aim to enhance people-to-people bonds and ensure that the enduring friendship between China and the Philippines continues to thrive through shared understanding and heartfelt connections,” he added.

He invited Philippine artists and performers to participate in the Silk Road International Arts Festival to be held in Xi’an, Shaanzi in October.

“Art can be our shared language to compose fresh chapters of Silk Road legacy,” he said.

The Cultural Shaanxi – Charm of the Silk Road Legacy by the Chinese Cultural Courier was a joint undertaking of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Philippines, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Associations of the Philippines, and the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.