Chongqing Partners Feted in 47th PH-CN Diplomatic Relations Anniversary Celebration
30 June 2022, Chongqing – To celebrate 47 years of Philippines-China diplomatic relations, Philippine Consul General Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo hosted a dinner at her official residence in honor of the Philippines’ close partners in Chongqing. Top leaders of the Chongqing Foreign Affairs Office, Chongqing Commission of Commerce, and the Yuzhong District People’s Government, as well as the President of Panhua Steel Group, representatives of Allied Bank and SM City Chongqing and select Filipino professionals graced the occasion.
In her welcome remarks, Consul General Mayo revisited the significant events taking place in June this year, starting with the Philippines-China anniversary and the 21st Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day on June 9 and culminating on June 30 with the inaugural of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. She cited the new President’s wish to “shift Philippines-China relations to higher gear” on the strength of centuries-old threads of people-to-people interactions and economic engagements between our countries. “Wherever we look, we find so much of China in the Philippines, and so much of the Philippines in China,” she remarked.
Before savoring a nine-course dinner featuring Chinese-influenced Filipino dishes including lumpia, pancit molo and pancit bihon, guests enjoyed a musical excerpt from Harmony: Philippines-China Friendship in Love Songs and Lullabies performed by Philippine Consul General in Xiamen Maria Antonina Mendoza-Oblena as a pianist and world-class Chinese violist Jing Yang. The Philippine Consulate General team, for their part, entertained the guests with the song Ni De Yingzi (Your Shadow), which is a Chinese version of Freddie Aguilar’s popular song Anak.
Foreign Affairs Office Director General Wang Wen, Commerce Commission Director General Zhang Yongwu, and Yuzhong District Party Secretary Zhao Shiqing delivered their respective toast remarks. They recognized the links between Chongqing and the Philippines on different levels, as well as the personal friendship forged by cooperation and active support towards initiatives by both sides. In particular, Director General Wang Wen noted the congratulatory letter of President Xi Jinping to President Marcos where the former expressed readiness to write a great chapter of China-Philippines friendship for the new era.
“On the occasion of our anniversary celebration, the Consulate can offer many other demonstrations of the ties that bind our countries – from our shared history and common customs to commercial and personal connections. Tonight, however, it is just as important for the Consulate to celebrate our partners in Chongqing, who tirelessly build bridge after bridge that connects our governments, our economies and our peoples in a purposeful effort to grow our bilateral relations,” Consul General Mayo told her guests. END