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Philippine President Leaves for Hong Kong
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left Manila Sunday for a two-day visit to Hong Kong and the subsequent state visit to the People's republic of China from October 29 to 31 to boost the bilateral relations between the Philippines and China.
Before departure at the international airport, President Arroyo said, "at no other time has our relationship with China been more important than today" because the rapid pace of events has placed China at the center of world attention.
She said the visit "will reaffirm the historic ties between the Filipino and the Chinese people, ready to share history and seek to build a future of global friendship between brothers."
During her state visit to China, she will convey to Chinese President Jiang Zemin and the Chinese people "our desire for closer relations on the basis of a shared vision of peace, harmony and common prosperity," she said.
She said she will discuss with Chinese leaders important matters of common concern, including agricultural cooperation, trade and investments and fighting transnational crimes.
During the state visit, she said, the two countries will sign several documents on bilateral cooperation.
During her visit to Hong Kong, President Arroyo will hold talks with Tung Chee-Hwa, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and deliver a keynote speech at the 10th East Asia Economic Summit held under the auspices of the World Economic Forum.
She will also address a gathering of overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, the largest labor market of Filipino workers in Asia. There are now about 180,000 Filipino household workers in Hong Kong.
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