The Daily Tribune <<< Without Fear or Favor >>>

»HEADLINES

»NATION

Nograles seeks higher Chinese role in infra, agri modernization

10/25/2009

Speaker Prospero Nograles over the weekend called for heightened Chinese participation in the all-out infrastructure and agriculture modernization programs of the country and help push Asian and global development through regional integration.

“Asia’s integrated development is imperative in the wake of the surging economic globalization,” Nograles said on the sidelines of the 6th China-Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo held from Oct. 20-24 in Nanning, the capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

He said the country is still trying to recover from the crippling global financial crisis when typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” struck and wrought so much devastation in most parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila.

Noting that the twin calamities also hit several Asian countries, including China, Nograles said the problems of reconstruction could be hastened through coordinated and concerted efforts of regional governments in Asia and the global community.

Lauding China’s giant economic strides during the decade, the Speaker said “a growing China is good for regional economic stability.”

Since China and the Philippines forged relations in 1975, both nations have sealed nearly 100 bilateral cooperation agreements covering diverse areas of concerns such as defense, air-service, tourism, science and technology.

Nograles moreover bared that infrastructure and agriculture cooperation are relatively new areas and Manila eyes to cement trade on such with Beijing.

“China’s development in the last 60 years is a cause for celebration, not only for China but also for its neighbors in the region, which have benefited greatly from its remarkable economic growth,” he said.

The Asean, a regional grouping initiated in 1967, is composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.