China-Philippine envelopes introduced to celebrate diplomatic anniversary

The Philippines and China launched China-Philippine Joint Commemorative Envelopes on Thursday to celebrate the incoming 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Liu Jianchao, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, and Alberto Romulo, Foreign Secretary of the Philippines, were present for the launching ceremony here.

"Friendly exchanges between our two countries could trace back to the ancient times," Liu said, adding the friendship between China and the Philippines "has been going on for much, much longer " since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two Asian countries on June 9, 1975.

The past 35 years witnessed political trust continuously enhanced between China and the Philippines, trade increased by a huge margin, economic cooperation expanded in various fields with concrete results, cultural exchanges significantly enriched and mutual understanding between the two peoples greatly deepened, Liu said.

"The first known official linkages between the Philippines and China can be traced to the 15th century", Romulo said, adding the two countries are "natural friends" with blood and family ties, for many famous people in the Philippines, such as national hero Jose Rizal and former president Corazon Aquino, have a Chinese ancestry.

During the past 35 years, the Philippines kept promoting the ties with China "not only at the national level, but also at the local, people to people level," Romulo said, adding the two countries are "more than friends because we are brothers and sisters and we are close kins, one to the other".

In April 2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao struck a key agreement during his state visit to the Philippines with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on building a strategic partnership dedicated to peace and development between the two countries.

Source:Xinhua