China said peace and cooperation with its neighbors in the region are key components to the larger task of securing a fairly high growth rate for itself, alongside the plan to attain a high level of social development for the world’s second-largest economy.
“China is willing to work with the Philippines to move and bring our bilateral relations to new heights,” Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhato Jianhua said at the China Spring Festival held at the Makati Shangri-La last Friday.
Its foreign minister, however, defended China’s right to construct on its claimed territories in the South China Sea, and won’t accept criticisms from others about its “legal and reasonable” work.
“China is carrying out necessary construction on its own islands, and that isn’t directed against and won’t affect anyone,” Wang said at a briefing in Beijing. “We are not comparable to some countries that like to build illegal houses on others’ territory.”
Wang didn’t say what construction he was referring to, though China has reclaimed land around a reef known as Fiery Cross on the disputed Spratly Islands, building out an area large enough for an airstrip, according to IHS Jane’s. China claims about 90 percent of the South China Sea, parts of which are also contested by Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The US has urged China to stop reclaiming land, while the Philippines and China have frequently traded accusations over conflicting claims and encounters between fishing and military vessels.
The reclamation is the fourth such project undertaken by China in the Spratlys in recent months and is the largest, according to Janes.
“We won’t accept anyone pointing a finger at us when we build in our own courtyard,” Wang said.
In his speech, Zhao reiterated that the two countries are close neighbors, partners and relatives. “Let us maintain stability and peace in the region, particularly the South China Sea. Let us be kind and gentle to each other. Let us be hardworking and perseverant in making new progress for the betterment of China-Philippines relations.”
As the Spring Festival welcomes the lunar calendar of the year, Zhao cited China’s major milestones last year in terms of economic and social development.
Among them were: sustained growth of 7.4 percent in terms of the gross domestic product; 13 million new job opportunities; 100 million outbound Chinese tourists; 605 million tons of grain as farm output and additional 8,427-kilometer railway lines built. But no matter these achievements the past year, the ambassador said 2015 will be a crucial year for reforms, growth and structural adjustments. He noted that, to meet its goals, a peaceful bilateral relations with its neighbors play a major role in long-haul development.
“We will focus on achieving the dual objectives of maintaining a medium-to-high level economic growth rate and moving toward a medium-to-high level of social development,” Zhao said. “To reach these targets, it is essential to maintain regional peace and cooperation with our neighbors and countries in other parts of the world.”
With the success of China in hosting the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting last year, the ambassador said Beijing expressed its support for the Philippines who is hosting the Apec meetings this year.
“We are very glad to see that President Xi Jinping and President Aquino had a brief but friendly and significant talk during the Beijing Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting last year, which has ushered in a fresh progress to improve and enhance our bilateral relations,” Zhao said. “Our two peoples are bound by a profound and resilient friendship forged through a millennium-long amicable exchanges. It is the common aspiration of our two peoples to deepen friendship and cooperation.”
As he toasted with government officials, private-sector leaders, envoys and members of diplomatic corps, and distinguished members of the Chinese community for greater cooperation and friendship with countries in the region, Zhao expressed the hope that “the Year of the Sheep will bring good luck and happiness, and bring more warmth and vitality to the China-Philippines relations.”
With Bloomberg News / Special to the BusinessMirror