China donates 10,000 tons of rice to typhoon victims

MANILA, Philippines — Apart from extending assistance to victims of the Marawi siege, Chinese President Xi Jinping has also donated 10,000 tons of rice to help communities devastated by Typhoon Ompong.

Xi made the commitment during his visit in Manila last Tuesday.

“As our two countries forge ahead as win-win partners, China will continue to do its modest best to help and support the Philippines,” Xi said following his bilateral meeting with President Duterte at Malacañang.

“Our support will come in many forms, from lending a hand to your counter-narcotics and counterterrorism struggle, to helping to repair roads and bridges in Marawi and build new infrastructure there,” Xi said.

He said China will import more goods from the Philippines such as coconuts and frozen fruits.

China will also open 50 more government scholarship grants for Filipino students yearly from 2019 to 2021.

Xi added that Beijing will also facilitate the hiring of Filipino teachers for English teaching jobs in China.

In his speech, Xi reiterated that all countries may live harmoniously with one another even while pushing their respective interests.

“Time and again our experiences show that good neighborliness serves the fundamental interests of both nations, and it meets the shared aspiration of all in the region. However the international situation may change, both sides will remain committed to this relationship and work hard to make it even stronger,” he said.

“Recognizing the wisdom in the saying, all creatures may grow together without harming other, all roads may run parallel without interfering with one another,” he maintained.

“Both sides agree that there is no one size fits all development model, and that every country has a right to choose its own path,” Xi added.

The Chinese leader also paid tribute to country’s national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.  The Philippine hero’s ancestry is traced to Jinjiang City in China’s Fujian province where a Rizal monument now stands.

“I would like to quote the words of Dr. Jose Rizal, It is a useless life that is not consecrated to a greater ideal. These stirring words of the founding father of the modern Philippines speak the minds of the Chinese as well as the Filipino people,” he said.

Xi said Rizal has provided inspiration to both nations, which should “make good neighborly and cooperative relations, and write a new chapter in China-Philippines ties.”