Philippine Firms Told to Trade With China Ahead of OthersPhilippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Friday encouraged Filipino businessmen to get ahead of other countries in selling Philippine products to China, the vast emerging market.Assessing her state visit to China last week, Arroyo said China's joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) would be beneficial to the Philippines, and Filipino firms should take advantage of the close ties between the two countries. She said the Philippines should sell products to the Chinese ahead of anyone else because the two countries are "friends, relatives, and blood brothers," and they are "culturally linked." The president said during her visit, she took with her some of the leading Filipino industrialists so that they can see with their own eyes the vast opportunities for doing business in China. Miguel Varela, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said China's economic success is bound to increase after its formal entry into the WTO. He called on business sectors in both countries to "strategically explore opportunities for greater cooperation that would be mutually beneficial." |
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