The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Luis Leoncio
The groundwork for the return of normal relations between China and the Philippines has been laid down in the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Laos that, unfortunately, was overshowed by the diplomatic row between the Philippines and the United States.
During a dialogue with President Duterte, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang voiced his hope that China and the Philippines would work together to bring their ties back on the normal track so as to realize their healthy and stable development.
Li and Duterte met at the sidelines of the East Asia leaders’ meetings in the Lao capital of Vientiane.
Mr. Duterte, for his part, expressed his aspiration for better Philippines-China relations, saying that Li’s remarks represented one of his principles.
Mr. Duterte last Thursday accepted the chairmanship of the Asean summit in 2017, on behalf of the Filipino people.
In his acceptance speech, he vowed to pursue the group’s initiatives and enhance cooperation with global partners to ensure that Asean citizens live in peace, stability, security, and growth.
During the Philippines’s chairmanship, he said the country will highlight Asean as a model of regionalism and as a global player, with the interest of the people at its core.
He said the Philippines was ready and willing to steer and guide the association, which is celebrating its 50th founding anniversary next year.
Mr. Duterte said that “crucial to the realization of our goals is the cooperation and support of all Asean member-states and our dialogue partners.”
The President invited the nine other Asean members to be the Philippines’s “dynamic and vibrant partners as we guide Asean in 2017.”
He said next year’s summit theme will be “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.”
“It captures our resolve to consolidate our community for our peoples, with a sense of togetherness and common identity, ready and able to take our rightful place in the global community of nations,” the President added.
“It will be an occasion for us to set the tone for the next 50 years. Join us in making the commemoration of Asean’s 50th a success. With great honor and humility, I accept the chairmanship of the Asean from our excellent host, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic,” Mr. Duterte said.
He also took the occasion to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith for Lao’s successful chairmanship of the Asean throughout this year.
“You guided us with the timely motto of ‘Turning Vision into Reality for Dynamic Asean community.’ You ably did your part in deepening integration to move us towards the realization of a rules-based, people-oriented, people-centered Asean community,” he said.
Technological cooperation between China and Asean members has deepened in recent years and will continue to prosper in the future, industry analysts said.
More than 2,000 companies have registered as members of the technological transfer network between China and Asean, said Liu Jianhong, deputy director of the China-Asean Technological Transfer Center.
China has also set up bilateral technological transfer centers with Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Indonesia.
Cooperation between China and Asean members has been carried out in modern agriculture, new energy, reusable energy, the internet, environmental protection and the biochemical industry. Contracts worth more than 600 billion yuan have been signed, statistics show.
“For example, in the field of agriculture, some pumpkins can grow quite large in Vietnam and do not sell well in the market. Chinese agricultural technicians helped improve the breed and it is selling well in northern and highland Vietnam,” said Liu.
Technological cooperation in mobile internet industries is also developing fast with more than 200 companies participating.
Sohagame, a Vietnamese gaming company, achieved great success after selling patents for two China-made smartphone games.
Chang Qing, also a deputy director of the center, said high-level academics including several leading scientists in Southeast Asia have also promoted technological cooperation among the countries.