Gloria Macapagal Arroyo： The Philippines benefits much from China’s opening up

At this years Boao Forum for Asia （BFA） annual conference， which kicked off on April 8， Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was newly elected to its board of directors. However， her connection to the BFA can be traced back to 2001 when， during her presidency of the Philippines， she sent a letter of congratulations to the non-profit international organization for its establishment. In 2007， when the Philippines held the rotating chair of ASEAN， Arroyo attended that years BFA annual meeting and delivered a keynote speech.

On April 9， as a new council member of the BFA， Arroyo sat down for an interview with China Report ASEAN. She elaborated on BFA development， the China-proposed concept of “building a community with a shared future for mankind，” and the prospects of Sino-Philippine relationship.

>>China Report ASEAN： Congratulations on your election to the BFA board of directors. What are your expectations for the future of the Boao Forum？

Arroyo： It is a great honor to be elected as a council member. The Boao Forum is very important in my opinion. It provides an occasion for leaders of states， governments and international organizations to join entrepreneurs， scholars and media representatives from all over the world to exchange views and contribute collaborative wisdom to the development of Asia， with focus on longer term issues， especially at its annual conferences.

Considering the international situation in which emerging economies are trending upwards and Asian economic integration is accelerating， the Boao Forum is particularly important and has drawn wide attention under the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative. As the worlds largest economy， China has garnered global attention for its expanding role in global economics and international geopolitics. As new protectionism has emerged， I have maintained support for globalization and open trade. But we must also understand that different countries in the world have differing economics， social conditions and political history.

At the 2007 BFA annual conference， as president of the Philippines during its rotating ASEAN presidency， I delivered a keynote speech in which I remarked that ASEAN must seek deeper cooperation with China， India and Japan to achieve broader economic integration. Now 11 years later， many of those ideas have been realized. I want to stress that accelerating Asian economic integration remains a central theme of the BFA， which is an extension of ASEAN economic integration， so Im very happy to see my dream from 11 years ago come closer to reality.

>>China Report ASEAN： Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the idea of “building a community with a shared future for mankind，” which has received a warm response around the globe. What do you think of this idea？

Arroyo： I believe that “a community with a shared future for mankind” is an excellent idea that encapsulates the essence of Xis philosophy on diplomacy. It is high time for the world to become integrated in many ways—not only in diplomatic arenas but also in international economic and trade cooperation and other areas. In terms of global development， the “community with a shared future” vision proposed by President Xi Jinping sets a goal of increasing shared benefits for humanity through win-win cooperation.

>>China Report ASEAN： You remarked in an interview that China should be seen as an investor rather than a rival. What role do you think the Philippines will play in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative？

Arroyo： Let me put it this way： Chinas Belt and Road Initiative has kindled development opportunities， infrastructure projects and trade and investment facilitation to all countries involved， paving avenues for various projects to be completed faster and more efficiently. This is exactly what the Philippines needs. The Belt and Road Initiative provides hardware infrastructure such as railways and ports， which are conducive to attracting trade and investment. China and the Philippines should maintain practical cooperation in all fields as friendly neighbors to create benefits for our two peoples. President Dutertes “Build Build Build” program is very much complementary with the Belt and Road Initiative， a framework for opening avenues for multilateral cooperation. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank （AIIB） has provided financial assistance for key projects in the Philippines that have considerably helped the development of our country.

>>China Report ASEAN： How do you think China and the Philippines can work together to enhance economic cooperation？

Arroyo： Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez responded to this question very well during the Philippine Economic Briefing 2017 while introducing business opportunities in Philippine infrastructure and other fields to Chinese investors.

In general， our economies are very complementary to each other. China is strong in manufacturing and the Philippines is strong in services. The two countries should optimize their complementary advantages and learn from each other. The Philippine service industry can enhance Chinas growth， but how can the Philippines benefit from China？ In my view， the Philippines lacks technology and capital， and that is precisely where China is positioned.

>>China Report ASEAN： The Association for Philippines-China Understanding （APCU） is a non-governmental organization for people-to-people exchange between the two countries. As a co-founder， what do you think of its role in strengthening Sino-Philippine relations？ Now that you are serving as president of APCU， what are your plans for APCUs future cooperation with China？

Arroyo： The APCU is a people-to-people organization. I believe that with any relationship， people are key. People-to-people relationships compose the soul of bilateral ties between countries， so the people-to-people relationship is as important as the government-to-government relationship. The APCU is committed to promoting people-to-people exchange and mutual trust between our two countries. I want to help young people of the Philippines learn more about China—especially how China has grown to be such an economic giant in the last 40 years.

>>China Report ASEAN： This year marks the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening-up. How has the relationship between China and the Philippines progressed over the past four decades， and what are your expectations for future bilateral ties？

Arroyo： The remarkable achievements of Chinas reform and opening up over the past 40 years have proved that the socialism with Chinese characteristics has unique advantages， with which the system is set to play a more significant role in the new era. Hainans development is a microcosm of Chinas reform. The province is not only blessed with beautiful landscapes but is also home to modern rubber plantations and advanced hospitality industry. Im very glad to return to Hainan and see the maturing of Boao Forum along with the leapfrog economic development on the island.

There is great potential for cooperation between our two countries， and President Duterte is very actively working with China in many fields. I had the same attitude when I was president of the Philippines. President Duterte and I agree that good relations between China and the Philippines will surely be maintained.