AFTER an interregnum of some two months, the People’s Republic of China (PROC) has appointed a new ambassador to the Philippines who has been described as an “expert” in American affairs and a committed member of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
HE Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Jing Quan formally presented his credentials to President Marcos Junior in Malacañang last December 11, with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro also present. He arrived in Manila last December 6.
The presentation of his credentials to the President signals the start of his official job as China’s 17th official representative to the Philippines since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1975.
Amb. Jing takes over from the work left behind by HE Ambassador Huang Xilian who has completed his 6-years tour of duty last September since his appointment in December 2019.
Although the posts from the Chinese Embassy website only mentioned a very brief summary of Amb. Jing’s credentials—50 years old having been born in 1975 from the Han ethnic group; master’s degree in foreign relations; a member of the CPC—other mainstream media reports noted that he served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, already a very responsible position given the complexity of Sino-US relations.
He also has a fellowship at the Brookings Institute and served as deputy director general in the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and hails from Hancheng, Shaanxi Provine, according to a press handout from the DFA.
In his presentation speech, Ambassador Jing reminded that “a sound and stable China-Philippines relationship” is a necessity for the common development of China and the Philippines, and a boon for the prosperity and progress of the region.
“China hopes that the Philippines, for the benefit of its own fundamental and long-term interests, works with China in the same direction, adheres to the right strategic course for China-Philippines relations, and brings the relationship back onto the track of sound and steady development at an early date,” he said.
For his part, President Marcos reciprocated, saying, “I’m sure that there will be many opportunities for us to make the relationship between our two countries stronger, deeper and more important as the years go by.
“I look forward to working with you in managing the differences and intensifying the cooperation between our two countries.
“Our differences should be the exception in our ties rather than the norm,” President Marcos told the ambassador.
The arrival of Ambassador Jing immediately elicited hope and excitement, especially in the Fil-Chinese community, which remains as the backbone of Philippine economic development.
The Federation of Filipino – Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), which met with Amb. Jing last December 12, said it is eager to work with the Chinese Embassy in promoting Philippine exports, tourism and other forms of bilateral relations between China and the Philippines (see related story).