Roxas to foster 'party-to-party' relations with China, PNoy says

As special envoy to China, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas is expected to convey the country’s views on the territorial dispute to ranking Chinese leaders on a “party-to-party” level, President Benigno Aquino III said Friday.   “Ang instructions ko kay Secretary Roxas, simpleng-simple: siguraduhin na maparating ‘yung ating mga pananaw doon sa highest levels of the leadership of the People’s Republic para klarong walang lost in translation, para klaro kung saan tayo nagmumula, anong agam-agam natin, anong inaasahan natin,” Aquino told reporters at the sidelines of the inauguration of the refurbished Aquino-Diokno Memorial in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.   Roxas flew to Nanning, China, on Thursday night to attend the 9^th China-ASEAN Expo at the behest of President Aquino and recommendation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.   Aquino said Roxas was qualified for the position for being a ranking member of the Liberal Party. “Well, ang number one na inaasahan ko siguro, China is a one-party state. Si Mar Roxas is president of the party that I belong to,” he said without elaborating.    Aquino said his intention for sending Roxas, his running-mate in the 2010 elections, to China is merely to convey the country’s views on the dispute regardless of the response from Chinese officials.   “Kung magre-respond sila, maganda; kung hindi, maliwanag sa atin na naiparating sa kanila ‘yung talagang sinasaloob natin nang maliwanag na maliwanag,” he said.   Roxas’ designation as special envoy, however, does not mean he will represent the country in all matters involving China, Aquino clarified, saying should trade or tourism issues come up, the secretaries of the involved departments will be tapped to represent the country.   “Sa ngayong pagkakataon lang, ulitin ko, sa ating pananaw mukhang ‘yung relasyon ng party to party ang hinahabol nila dito kaya hiniling na si Secretary Roxas ang ipadala,” Aquino said.   In recommending Roxas’ presence in the 9^th China-ASEAN Expo, Del Rosario said: “The DFA is making arrangements for Secretary Roxas and the Philippine delegation to meet with high-level Chinese officials.”   Del Rosario said Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping will be attending the event.   Roxas was accompanied by presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.   At a briefing Thursday, Lacierda said the goal of the meeting was to relay what Aquino would have wanted to tell the Chinese president in Vladivostok, Russia, during the APEC Summit earlier this month.   The two heads of state were supposed to discuss issues on the overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea, but the meeting fell through due to complications on the schedule. — Patricia Denise Chiu/KBK, GMA News