Being a friend of China does not prevent the Philippines from also being a friend of the US and vice versa. There is no need to choose sides.”

When I first heard that the new Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan had previously served as deputy chief of mission in Washington, I could not help but be more optimistic about the future of Philippines-China diplomatic relations.

I don’t want to read too much into it, but when a Chinese official or diplomat is posted in Washington, it is because US-China relations are a high priority for both countries and for the world.

Following that thought, we can reasonably assume that the members of the diplomatic team on both sides would have to be the best at their expertise and as well as their “game.”

So, if someone like Ambassador Jing Quan is posted in the Philippines, it signals that the “Mainland” is paying closer attention to China-Philippines relations and wants someone who understands the game and presumably knows the players in the three-way play among the Philippines, China and the US.

Last Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, CEPA or the Chinese Enterprises Philippine Association welcomed the New Year with business partners and the new Chinese ambassador was the guest of honor.

I watched him from a distance and tried to size him up and see if my optimism was well placed or precarious. With his short cropped hair, shoulders straight and visibly conscious of his movements and posture, Amb. Jing Quan could be mistaken more for a general than an ambassador.

In his speech to the CEPA audience, the ambassador shared three observations based on his one-month dialogues with concerned sectors. Here is a translated and “chopped” version of his speech delivered in Mandarin:

“First, China and the Philippines enjoy strong economic complementarity and vast potential for cooperation, particularly in agriculture. At the 2025 China International Import Expo, Davao durian exporters concluded deals worth more than $36 million, while pineapple and mangoes are also well positioned to succeed in the Chinese market.

“In the energy and power sector, the Philippines faces tight electricity supply. China, for its part, brings strong technological capabilities and supply chains. The Terra solar-plus-storage project and the Pakil pumped storage hydro power projects are setting new benchmarks for China-Philippines cooperation.

“China is expected to remain the Philippines’ largest trading partner and source of imports for the 10th consecutive year in 2025. From January to November, bilateral trade reached $45.21 billion or an 11.8 percent growth resulting from the cooperation.

“Second, sustained cooperation depends on a sound and stable business environment. When relations between our two countries are stable and the business environment is favorable, China-Philippines economic cooperation grows quickly.

“In recent years, however, both the scale and pace of Chinese investments in the Philippines have lagged behind those in several other ASEAN countries – not only Vietnam and Indonesia, but also Cambodia and Laos and only slightly ahead of Brunei.

“While political factors in bilateral relations play a role, business conditions on the ground are also an important consideration. In my discussion with (Chinese) companies, I frequently hear the same concerns: work visas are difficult to obtain and the application takes a long time, tax rules are complicated and the customs inspections happen too often.

“We hope to work closely with relevant Philippine authorities to address these issues and foster a better business environment that is fair, transparent, safe, stable, predictable and sustainable.

“Such an environment will benefit all investors and help the Philippines attract more foreign investment to support of its long-term development.

“China recently outlined a new blueprint for high quality development. China’s 15th five-year plan for National Economic and Social Development articulates the objective to build a unified national market and further integrate domestic and international trade.

“With a population of 1.4 billion and more than 400 million middle-income consumers, China will continue to offer enormous opportunities to global suppliers, including those from the Philippines.

“From the Philippine perspective, industrial park cooperation holds considerable potential. A China-Philippines joint Demonstration Zone for Economic Innovative Development is being developed in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, with the aim of combining China’s industrial strengths with the Philippines’ resource and market advantage.

“Such cooperation along industrial and supply chains helps expand the space for the two-way investment. Beyond this, both sides see substantial potential for cooperation in waste-to-energy, distributed power generation, food processing, solar-powered irrigation, data centers, digital intelligence empowerment, cold chain logistics, tourism and cultural and creative industries.

“Above all, the bilateral relations need to be stabilized… In my recent discussions with Philippine friends, I’ve often emphasized that being a friend of China does not prevent the Philippines from also being a friend of the US and vice versa. There is no need to choose sides.

“Like many other ASEAN countries, the Philippines can develop stable relationships with both. This approach best serves the countries’ fundamental and long-term interests.

“Going forward, if maritime differences are effectively managed, exchanges continue to expand and relations improve steadily, both sides will be better able to focus energy on advancing mutually beneficial cooperation.

“Friends, the new year brings both opportunities and challenges. When you identify opportunities, the embassy stands ready to help connect partners. When you encounter difficulties, we are prepared to assist in finding solutions. And when new ideas emerge, we are always willing to listen and help turn them into reality.”

Are “we” willing?