His Excellency Ambassador Wu Hongbo,
Mr. Manny Dy, Honorary President of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Association,
Mr. Joseph Chan, President,
Ms. Yukyin Garcia, Honorary President,
Mr. Yang Jia Ming, President of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese,
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita,
Senator Alfredo Lim,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Ladies and gentlemen,

        Tonight’s cultural presentation marks 30 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China.

        But just as importantly, tonight’s presentation symbolizes the profound bonds that have brought us together, bonds built on expressions of art, music, dance and language that captures the lively and creative spirit of our people.

        I thank the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Association of the Philippines, for hosting this event, for bringing to us this showcase of the rich history of friendship and cultural ties between the Philippines and China.

        Although we are commemorating 30 years of formal friendship, our peoples have been interacting with one another for centuries.

        Culture has always been an integral part of our historical relations and artifacts stand witness to this.  There have been large finds of Chinese pottery and coins in Butuan, Cebu, Tondo and Sulu, some dating to as far back as the tenth century.  Records for China’s largest port, Quanzhou, situated on the coast of Fujian province, also attest to this.

        Throughout China’s Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368) Chinese ships traded extensively with the Philippines, resulting in the establishment of permanent Chinese communities at a number of sites in the Philippines.

        With these personal and official linkages, Chinese culture has left an indelible mark in Philippine society.  From the language, the manner of dressing, our close family ties, the rituals and traditions during festivities and other special occasions, to the delectable Chinese cuisine – all these remain very much a part of the Filipino quotidian life.

        Through the years, our cultural relations have been formalized and continued to grow.  The 1979 RP-China Cultural Agreement gave direction to our cultural ties.  Determined to build even stronger ties, we reinforced this in December 2002 with the signing of our 12th Executive Program.

        That Program further broadened our exchanges in the fields of music, performing arts, writing, art conservation, traditional arts, theater, education, research, books, publications and film.

        Today, culture, civilization and faith remain important means to build greater understanding in the world.

        Although we are celebrating 30 years of official diplomatic ties, Philippine and Chinese friendship actually dates back several centuries. The first known official linkages can be traced to the 15th century when the Sultan of Sulu traveled to China. There is in fact a monument to the Sultan in Shandong province in China and some of his descendants are currently visiting the country as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations.

        This afternoon, I met the living symbols of our cultural and historical ties, the descendants of the Sultan of Sulu who traveled to China in the 15th Century.

        Aside from the Sultan, ordinary people from China and the Philippines have been interacting with one another for the past few hundred years, the geographic proximity of our two nations makes this an unavoidable and benign fact.

        Today there are many Filipinos with Chinese ancestry and several of them have made significant contributions to the development of this country. Among these are the country’s own national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, the first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz, and the first woman President of the Philippines, Corazon C. Aquino. Aside from these prominent Filipinos, members of the Filipino-Chinese Community including those present here today have made and continue to make significant contributions to the development of the Philippines.

        Given these historical ties, it is but natural for the Philippines and China to have common areas for growth and convergence. The last three decades saw the transformation of the bilateral relationship from one of peaceful coexistence to this vibrant phase of cooperation and mutual confidence that we enjoy today.

        Through our sustained interactions over these past 30 years, we have discovered and we continue to discover that our two countries have more in common than previously thought.

        Being in the same region, we are affected by the same economic, social, and security challenges and opportunities. China is now the Philippines’ 4th largest trading partner and our fastest growing export market.

        An equally important and defining element in this phase of the relationship is the landmark agreement which will allow the national oil companies of the Philippines, China, and Vietnam to conduct joint seismic undertaking in the South China Sea. Furthermore China’s assistance to the Philippines in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure development, mining, tourism, and transnational crime, among others, will solidify even further the “Golden Age of Partnership” between our two countries, which was affirmed by President Hu Jintao and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during the state visit of the former to the Philippines in May 2005.

        As important as these areas are in terms of Philippines-China partnership, I believe the most important aspect is still our people-to-people relations. What was started by Sultan Paduka Batera and Emperor Yong Le of the Ming Dynasty in 1417, we Filipinos and Chinese of today have an obligation to continue. The friendship that they established between our peoples is their legacy to us. The celebrations that we are undertaking for the 30th anniversary such as this cultural gala is one of the many ways of continuing that friendship established so long ago.

        In closing allow me to quote an ancient Chinese proverb which states that “If you want one year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want ten years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want one hundred years of prosperity, grow people.” And may I add to the proverb these words: by fostering friendship between our peoples, one hundred years of peace and prosperity would follow.

        Thank you.  END
 

/jay