国际英语资讯:Yearender: Manila ushers in new era of Sino-Philippine relations under Duterte as China exten_时事

国际英语资讯:Yearender: Manila ushers in new era of Sino-Philippine relations under Duterte as China exten

National Treasurer Roberto Tan said last week that the government is "looking at between 300 and 500 million U.S. dollars for the initial year" as a financial window that it can tap from the AIIB."

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said last week that he, Dominguez and Pernia will travel to Beijing to negotiate specific projects with the AIIB.

"The president's visit to China last October promises many positive outcomes," Diokno said. "It promises greater trade with China, which right now is already our country's second-biggest trading partner. It promises to double or triple agricultural exports to China. It promises more than a million Chinese tourists to the Philippines, and it promises fresh infrastructure financing for us."

AIIB President Jin Liqun visited Manila on Dec. 12 ti Dec. 14, during which he met with Duterte, Dominguez and other government officials.

"The bank looks forward to supporting the Philippines in its endeavor to develop world-class infrastructure, including in the transportation sector," Jin said in a statement issued at the end of his Manila visit.

Duterte's foreign secretary, Perfecto Yasay, said the strategy works. "What we are doing is that we set aside (the dispute) and we foster the other aspects of our relations like trade, investment even infrastructure development, cooperation in certain areas that we could do without violating or undermining our respective rights," he said.