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Philippines Sticks to "One China" Policy: Estrada
Philippine President Joseph Estrada said Monday that the Philippine government will continue to follow the "One China" Policy.
Estrada made the remark at the presidential palace Monday afternoon when he received credentials from Wang Chunqui, newly-appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of the Philippines.
He said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in June 1975, the two have steadily grown closer to each other.
"This is manifested in the exchange of high level visits," he said.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji visited the Philippines in 1996 and 1999 respectively. Estrada and Philippine Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo paid visits to China earlier this year.
Estrada spoke highly of a Joint Statement on the Framework of Bilateral Cooperation in the 21st Century signed between the two countries last May, calling it "a milestone in our relations' history."
Acknowledging that the two sides may have had differences, he said, "but we have always agreed that these differences are best resolved through peaceful dialogue and consultations."
"We have also resolved that our differences should not hinder the development of our relations," he added.
Wang, on his part, said that over the past 25 years, the Sino-Philippine relations, based on the five principles of peaceful coexistence, have witnessed steady development, which he said has not only benefited the two peoples feasibly but also contributed to the peace and stability in the region.
He expressed his belief that through joint efforts by the two governments and peoples, the cooperative relations of good neighborliness and mutual trust between the two countries will enjoy a stride in the new century.
The Chinese ambassador arrived in Manila on August 10.
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