China–Philippines relations

China–Philippines relations

China	Philippines

Relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the People's Republic of China have gradually improved over the years since the initiative of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos to support communism in mainland China while battling a communist insurgency in the Philippines. China withdrew support for Filipino communists due to this. However, relations between the two countries have suffered due to the worsening South China Sea dispute. The current president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, aims at remedying relations between the Philippines and China at the expense of the former's relationship with the United States, the Philippines' national territorial integrity as seen when the Philippine foreign minister paved way for China's expansionism, and a stronger ASEAN voice, leaving Vietnam at the forefront.

Several major bilateral agreements were signed between the two countries over the years, such as: Joint Trade Agreement (1975); Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement (1978); Postal Agreement (1978); Air Services Agreement (1979); Visiting Forces Agreement (1999); Cultural Agreement (1979); Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (1992); Agreement on Agricultural Cooperation (1999); Tax Agreement (1999); and Treaty on Mutual Judicial Assistance on Criminal Matters (2000). In May 2000, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, the two countries signed a Joint Statement defining the framework of bilateral relations in the 21st century. Bilateral relations between the Philippines and China have significantly progressed in recent years. The growing bilateral relations were highlighted by the state visit to China of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 29–31 October 2001. During the visit, President Arroyo held bilateral talks with top Chinese leaders, namely President Jiang Zemin, NPC Chairman Li Peng, and Premier Zhu Rongji. President Arroyo also attended the 9th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting held in Shanghai on October 20–21, 2001, where she also had bilateral talks with President Jiang. During President Arroyo's visit, eight important bilateral agreements were signed.

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