Exclusive | Philippines open for business with China, but stands firm on insisting Beijing respects its sovereignty: trade secretary

Speaking before the Belt and Road Forum, Ramon Lopez says China has not been an aggressor, but any threat to its jurisdiction might affect bilateral trade ties

This month, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened military action after Beijing let hundreds of vessels sail near a Philippine-claimed island in South China Sea

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Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez at the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on April 25. Photo: Simon Song

Published: 9:40pm, 25 Apr 2019Updated: 8:52am, 19 Dec 2019

Even as the Philippines signs billions of dollars worth of agreements with its top trading partner China to boost bilateral ties, Manila will not back down from insisting on respect for its sovereignty, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said on Thursday.

“The President, many Filipinos and myself would make sure there is mutual respect for sovereignty. That is what we should maintain as good friends,” Lopez told the South China Morning Post in an exclusive interview.

President Rodrigo Duterte during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on April 25. Photo: EPA

He added he was confident any tensions over sovereignty issues could be ironed out before matters escalated, but “any threat on that particular aspect … might even affect trade relationship improvements we have gained so far”.

The Philippines’ top trade official, who accompanied President Rodrigo Duterte on his fourth official visit to the Chinese capital, was asked to comment on a recent flare-up in the disputed South China Sea, where there are overlapping territorial claims between China and several Asian countries.

Earlier this month, Manila accused Beijing of violating its sovereignty by allowing hundreds of vessels to sail near Thitu Island – called Pag-asa Island by the Philippines – which it claims, and Duterte warned Beijing to “lay off” before he deployed soldiers.