House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Wednesday said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s high-level meeting with China’s top legislator, National People’s Congress Standing Committee chairperson Li Zhanshu, “was a very positive engagement,” which he hoped would result in more engagements and exchanges between the legislative bodies of China and the Philippines.

In an interview, Romualdez said Li encouraged both sides to have “high-level exchanges” between their parliament and our Congress.

“He (Li) feels and believes that our relationship should be deepened and strengthened through our legislative bodies, acting in coordination and having more engagements and meetings. So, that’s why we will look forward to the invitations that have actually been extended in the previous years but due to Covid, it did not materialize,” he said.

“But now that China is opening up this year, we look forward to seeing these some engagements and these exchanges between the Congress of China, and the Congress and Senate of the Philippines come to fruition in the year 2023,” he added.

The House Speaker said these meetings and exchanges will be helpful “in harmonizing and resolving any differences,” and in deepening and strengthening the relationship between the two countries.

President Marcos met Li in a bid to strengthen the relationship between Manila and Beijing, particularly as the world transitions to the new normal following the coronavirus pandemic.

The President hopes China will continue to invest in the Philippines, noting that although there are some disagreements, the two countries must not allow them to be “the sum” of their relationship.

Marcos wants Philippine-China relationship to extend to commerce, culture, education, trade and investment, as well as people-to-people exchanges. (PNA)