China pledges more aid to help Marawi

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 27): China pledges more aid to help Marawi

China has pledged more assistance to rebuild war-torn Marawi City.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced the additional assistance consisting of emergency supplies which would be used for the settlement of people in Marawi and the rebuilding of the city.

Minister Wang conducted a State Visit to Manila on July 24 to 25, upon the invitation of Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano.

The Foreign Minister said China stood ready to continue its high-level serious commitment in order to build mutual trust and expand all areas of cooperation and support for the Philippines.

The Chinese government last month donated PHP15 million for the relief and rehabilitation of Marawi City.

Fighting in the city has entered its third month after President Rodrigo Duterte placed Mindanao under martial law on May 23.

During the bilateral talks on July 25, Cayetano and Wang highlighted the great improvement in Philippines-China relations under the leadership of President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“As our good friend, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, has described this period as the golden age of Philippines-China bilateral ties, may I thank President Duterte and President Xi Jinping, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Filipino and Chinese people for making this a reality,” Cayetano said in a statement.

Cayetano reiterated the Duterte administration’s commitment to work tirelessly so that the Filipino people and the Chinese people will feel the benefits of stronger Philippines-China bilateral relations.

During President Duterte’s October 2016 state visit to China alone, the Philippines generated US$ 24 billion worth of aid and investment pledges, soft loans and grants from China for various infrastructure projects in the country such as in airports, railways and bridges.

With the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on strengthening cooperation between the DFA and Chinese Foreign Ministry, Cayetano was optimistic that both sides shall harness the positive momentum generated by warm Philippines-China collaboration in the areas of tourism, trade, finance, cooperation against illegal narcotics, terrorism, sports, arts, culture, and science and technology, among others.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1003370