China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to meet Duterte on vaccine cooperation

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will call on President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang on Saturday to discuss key bilateral issues, including possible COVID-19 vaccine cooperation with the Philippines.

Wang, in Manila for a two-day visit as part of his Southeast Asian nation swing, initially met Philippine counterpart, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who highlighted China’s significant role in the post-pandemic recovery of the country and the rest of the world.

“China’s powerful economy and the biggest consumer middle class in history of 800 million impart to her an essential indeed imperative role in the post pandemic global recovery. Even in the resurgence of the pandemic worldwide and even in China, China has already recovered the gains she lost,” Locsin said in his opening remarks.

In response, Wang said China will stand with the Philippines in fighting the pandemic, including the provision of vaccines.

An unofficial translation of Wang’s statement, which was delivered in Mandarin, said recovery from COVID-19 pandemic and rebuilding of the economy will be priorities for the two countries.

“In the new year, the post-pandemic era, I hope we can plan our cooperation and projects early to bring more fruitful cooperation between the two countries,” Wang said.

Apart from the Philippines, Wang visited Myanmar and Indonesia.

Of these three, Indonesia and the Philippines, which sees vaccines as crucial to keep the virus from further spreading in the coming months, have the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia.

“I just want to emphasize that in the process of the Philippine people's fight against the epidemic, China, as the Philippines' nearest neighbor, will stand firmly with the Filipino people until you completely overcome the epidemic,” Wang said. —KG, GMA News