Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said that his government will always work to “strengthen” ties with Beijing, as he received a donation of nearly 20,000 metric tons of urea fertilizer donated by the Chinese government on Friday, stated a statement from the President’s office.
Marcos Jr. described Beijing’s fertilizers’ donation as a “solid gesture of friendship and goodwill that is in keeping with our long and storied history of trade and cultural exchange.”
Such “generous acts” signify the value of ties between the two nations, which, he said, both governments should “continue to nurture”.
He added that the urea fertilizer donation was “timely”, given the Philippinest’s efforts to boost agricultural productivity to attain food security.
The fertilizers will be distributed to around 160,000 rice and corn farmers across the country, and would cover an agricultural area of around 200,000 hectares, as per an official statement.
Marcos said that the fertilizer donation would result in “production cost savings” for farmers.
Like many low and middle-income nations, the Philippines also felt the impact of rising food, fuel and fertilizer prices in the past months, caused by the spillover effects of the Ukraine conflict.
“As we walk to the next half-century of our diplomatic ties, let this day be a celebration of many things for us: the diligence and hard work of our farmers; our realizable goal of food self-sufficiency; and, the lasting, beneficial impact of the longstanding friendly ties between our two nations,” Marcos remarked.
The event was also attended by the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian.
China had made a commitment to donate fertilizers to Manila during the visit of Marcos Jr. to Beijing in January. Boosting agricultural cooperation between the two countries was an area of discussion in delegation-level talks between Marcos Jnr and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Recent Tensions With China
The development marks a thaw in ties between Manila and Beijing after the ASEAN state accused Beijing of “aggressive tactics” after an April incident involving a near collision between Filipino and Chinese coast guard vessels in the South China Sea.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the Philippine vessels had intruded into the waters without China’s permission.
Beijing claims sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, and has supported enforcing a Code of Conduct for the littoral nations.
The US, which gained access to four additional Filipino bases this year, threatened Beijing that an “armed attack” on the Philippines would invoke a “mutual defense commitment”.
Beijing has been critical of Washington’s role in the South China Sea dispute and has accused it of driving a wedge between Beijing and other regional states.