Mr. Charles C. Jose, Philippine Consul General to Chongqing, paid a courtesy call on Chongqing Mayor, Hon. Wang Hongju, on 14 April 2009 at the Chongqing Hall of the Wu Du Guest House in Chongqing.
Consul General Jose and Mayor Wang agreed during their meeting that with the establishment of the Philippine Consulate General in Chongqing, relations between the Philippines and Chongqing would be given further boost.
Both sides agreed to cultivate friendship and understanding between the people of the Philippines and Chongqing.
They also agreed to promote cooperation in such areas as trade, investments, services, tourism, as well as cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts.
Philippine-Chongqing relations have been growing rapidly over the past couple of years, characterized by a high-level exchange of visits. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited Chongqing in June 2007. The following month Mayor Wang led a 300-member business delegation to the Philippines.
Bilateral economic ties are also on the upswing. Some 19 Philippine enterprises were granted permits to do business in Chongqing with around US$50 million worth of investments. Prominent Philippine investors in Chongqing include the Allied Bank. The SM Group has plans to put up an SM Mall in the city.
The Philippine government decided to open a consulate in Chongqing, which is the largest city in the world in terms of population and land area, in recognition of the increasing strategic importance the municipality plays in China’s over-all national economic development plan, and of the many opportunities this plan presents in promoting Philippine interests not only in Chongqing, but also in the fast-developing central and western parts of China.
Chongqing’s role as an important trading center will be further enhanced when the Three Gorges Dam opens that would allow ocean-going vessels along Yangtze’s inland waterways. This augurs well for the Philippines’ export promotion efforts.
Consul General Jose’s call on Chongqing Mayor Wang reaffirms the strong, friendly and vibrant ties that exist between the Philippines and China.
The Philippine Consulate General opened in Chongqing on 29 December 2008. Consul General Jose assumed his post on 22 February 2009.
