PHL military delegation in China for 5-day visit

A 148-member delegation from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is now in China for a five-day visit, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.   The DFA said the delegation from the AFP Command General Staff College (CGSC) Class 55 arrived in Beijing Sunday and will call on senior People's Liberation Army officials.   In a news release, the DFA said the AFP delegation will also tour military facilities in Beijing and Shanghai.   "The 148-member delegation, composed mostly of middle ranking officials (lieutenant colonel rank) from the Philippine Army, Navy and Air Force, was led by Col. Ramon Loria Prof, Head of the Academic Center of the CGSC," the DFA said. The delegation will call on Philippine Chargé d' Affaires Alex Chua before proceeding with visits to the:

• 196 Brigade of the Beijing Military Command,
• 24th Division of the PLA Air Force, and
• College of Defense Studies of the National Defense University (NDU).

  On March 21, the delegation will depart Beijing for Shanghai. "The visit to China of the biggest delegation so far of Philippine military officers to China showcases the strong, vibrant and comprehensive relations between the two countries as they celebrate the Years of Friendly Exchanges (YFE)," the DFA said.   The visit comes amid a dispute between the Philippines and China over the Spratly Islands. The Philippines and China are two of the six claimants to the islands, with the others being Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia.   In August last year, President Benigno Aquino III and Chinese President Hu Jintao declared 2012 and 2013 as the Years of Friendly Exchanges (YFE) during Aquino's state visit to China.   The YFE will be formally launched in Manila on March 20, to be followed shortly by the formal launching in Beijing. - VVP, GMA News