President Duterte returned to the country Saturday after articulating key Philippine positions to advance and sustain global growth and development during his participation in the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China.
In a statement, Malacañang said that Duterte had a productive and fruitful visit to the Asian superpower.
“The President’s visit to China further revitalized bilateral relations which will redound to greater socioeconomic benefits, peace, and stability for both countries,” Malacanang said.
Malacanang said Duterte, at the High-Level Meeting Session 1 of the forum, pushed for a new model of international cooperation where development assistance is a genuine tool to build national capacities for sustained growth.
He stressed that development assistance should not foster dependence but build the capacities of developing nations.
“The President called for enhanced partnerships to address transboundary development challenges in order to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth, stressing the importance of multilateralism based on respect for sovereign equality,” it said.
Malacanang also said that the President cited the need for a fair and equitable rules-based regime which governs the relations of states, global trade, and the use of the world’s oceans.
He highlighted the important role played by organizations, particularly the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in the evolving regional and global architecture.
Duterte underscored the platforms provided by ASEAN as ways to engage the international community positively to advance connectivity, sustainable development, and equitable growth.
Emphasizing the human dimensions that need to be promoted and protected in a world desiring growth, Malacañang said Duterte raised attention to protecting and upholding the rights of migrant workers.
“He said connectivity meant more than building roads and bridges, but also safeguarding the human nodes of connections that made possible the exchanges of skills, ideas, and experiences,” the Palace said. (Argyll Geducos)