Duterte expresses Philippines support for China amid COVID-19 crisis
MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has expressed solidarity and support for the people of China amid the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. handed over Duterte’s letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping to his counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during their meeting in Vientiane, Laos on Wednesday.
The meeting of the top diplomats was held on the eve of the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers Meeting on governments’ responses to the coronavirus.
In a statement on Thursday, the DFA said Locsin extended the Philippines’ sympathies to the Chinese people, especially those in Wuhan City in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak.
The Philippines also expressed its gratitude to China for its assistance in the repatriation of Filipino nationals from Hubei on Feb. 8.
In return, Wang thanked the Philippine government for its support for China, which he said attested to the “deepening of mutual trust and friendship” between the two countries.
Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian earlier warned the Philippines of the negative impact on the economy of the extended travel ban imposed on China.
In a speech at the 5th Association for Philippine-China Understanding (APCU) Forum in Ortigas, Pasig City last week, Huang noted that China is now the Philippines’ top trading partner, the largest source of imports and the third largest export market.
The Philippines on Feb. 2 banned all travel to and from China and its two administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau, as precaution against COVID-19.
The government partially lifted the travel ban to Hong Kong and Macau on Feb. 17.
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