Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MANILA1336
2007-04-26 08:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manila
Cable title:
PRESIDENT ARROYO "BULLISH" ON ASIA AT BOAO FORUM
how-toVZCZCXRO7696 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHML #1336 1160828 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 260828Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY MANILA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6265 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 6063 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 3404 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 001336
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2012
TAGS: PREL ECON PK CH RP
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT ARROYO "BULLISH" ON ASIA AT BOAO FORUM
Classified By: A/DCM Scott Bellard, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 001336
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2012
TAGS: PREL ECON PK CH RP
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT ARROYO "BULLISH" ON ASIA AT BOAO FORUM
Classified By: A/DCM Scott Bellard, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (U) President Arroyo made a 12-hour trip to Hainan
Island, China, on April 21, to attend the 2007 Boao Forum for
Asia. She delivered an address on regional economic
integration and development, proclaiming that she was
"bullish on Asia and our ability to help drive positive
change in the world." She added that, as China and India
"become true economic giants, their obligations to their
neighbors will increase," assuming greater roles for
"maintaining broader peace and stability in the region and
the world." Mrs. Arroyo canceled her original plans to visit
other cities in China on a five day trip due to the ongoing
hospitalization of her husband.
2. (C) According to Daniel Espiritu, Director of the China
Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the trip to
Hainan Island was "exhausting, but successful." He confirmed
that President Arroyo witnessed the signing of five
agreements, primarily between Chinese companies and
Philippine government agencies. PRC Embassy DCM Deng Xijun
separately underscored that the agreements did not involve
the central government, but rather either provincial
governments or local enterprises. He nonetheless highlighted
the importance in particular of new deals on the supply of a
broadband network (which has already faced criticism here as
unnecessary and overly expensive) and a water project for
Metro-Manila. He noted that the Philippine Secretaries of
Agriculture and of Trade and Industry were on hand to ink the
agreements. Deng also commented that a locally touted
agricultural agreement involved only relatively small exports
of Philippine mangos.
3. (C) President Arroyo also met briefly with Wu Bangguo,
Chairman of the National People's Congress (whom Deng
described as "the second most important person in China") and
Pakistani Prime Minister Chaukat Aziz. According to press
reports, Prime Minister Aziz expressed Pakistan's full
support for the Philippines' bid for permanent observer
status in the Organization of Islamic Conference, a long-time
goal of the Philippines due to its Muslim minority in
Mindanao and the OIC role in a 1996 peace accord with the
once-insurgent Moro National Liberation Front.
4. (C) Comment: The Boao Forum remains an important event
for the Philippines, especially given the leadership role
within Boao of former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, a
political ally of President Arroyo. Media coverage here
featured the President with the head of Microsoft as part of
Malacanang's drive to highlight the Philippines' growing IT
sector. Philippine and Chinese officials here underscored
the arduous nature of the trip -- a midnight departure from
Manila, 2:30 am arrival in Hainan followed by an hour's bus
trip to Boao, a brief nap, remarks to and interaction with
other participants, and then a return to Manila -- as a clear
sign of the commitment of President Arroyo and the
Philippines to the forum and to the increasingly robust
bilateral relationship with China.
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm
KENNEY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2012
TAGS: PREL ECON PK CH RP
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT ARROYO "BULLISH" ON ASIA AT BOAO FORUM
Classified By: A/DCM Scott Bellard, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (U) President Arroyo made a 12-hour trip to Hainan
Island, China, on April 21, to attend the 2007 Boao Forum for
Asia. She delivered an address on regional economic
integration and development, proclaiming that she was
"bullish on Asia and our ability to help drive positive
change in the world." She added that, as China and India
"become true economic giants, their obligations to their
neighbors will increase," assuming greater roles for
"maintaining broader peace and stability in the region and
the world." Mrs. Arroyo canceled her original plans to visit
other cities in China on a five day trip due to the ongoing
hospitalization of her husband.
2. (C) According to Daniel Espiritu, Director of the China
Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the trip to
Hainan Island was "exhausting, but successful." He confirmed
that President Arroyo witnessed the signing of five
agreements, primarily between Chinese companies and
Philippine government agencies. PRC Embassy DCM Deng Xijun
separately underscored that the agreements did not involve
the central government, but rather either provincial
governments or local enterprises. He nonetheless highlighted
the importance in particular of new deals on the supply of a
broadband network (which has already faced criticism here as
unnecessary and overly expensive) and a water project for
Metro-Manila. He noted that the Philippine Secretaries of
Agriculture and of Trade and Industry were on hand to ink the
agreements. Deng also commented that a locally touted
agricultural agreement involved only relatively small exports
of Philippine mangos.
3. (C) President Arroyo also met briefly with Wu Bangguo,
Chairman of the National People's Congress (whom Deng
described as "the second most important person in China") and
Pakistani Prime Minister Chaukat Aziz. According to press
reports, Prime Minister Aziz expressed Pakistan's full
support for the Philippines' bid for permanent observer
status in the Organization of Islamic Conference, a long-time
goal of the Philippines due to its Muslim minority in
Mindanao and the OIC role in a 1996 peace accord with the
once-insurgent Moro National Liberation Front.
4. (C) Comment: The Boao Forum remains an important event
for the Philippines, especially given the leadership role
within Boao of former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, a
political ally of President Arroyo. Media coverage here
featured the President with the head of Microsoft as part of
Malacanang's drive to highlight the Philippines' growing IT
sector. Philippine and Chinese officials here underscored
the arduous nature of the trip -- a midnight departure from
Manila, 2:30 am arrival in Hainan followed by an hour's bus
trip to Boao, a brief nap, remarks to and interaction with
other participants, and then a return to Manila -- as a clear
sign of the commitment of President Arroyo and the
Philippines to the forum and to the increasingly robust
bilateral relationship with China.
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm
KENNEY