Lazaro clearly understands that the courtesy shown by China's Foreign Minister this time is not for the Philippines.
Throughout July 21st, neither our government nor the Philippine official side released any information or footage regarding the meeting between China's Foreign Minister and the Philippines' Foreign Minister. As a result, I even thought our foreign minister had not met with his Philippine counterpart at all.
On July 22nd, both China and the Philippines publicly released news and visuals from the meeting held on the 21st between the two foreign ministers. From the footage sent back from the scene, it was evident that in welcoming China's Foreign Minister—arriving in Manila despite a packed schedule—Philippine Foreign Minister Lazaro personally walked to the door to greet him. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he tightly grasped China’s foreign minister’s hand with both of his own.
In fact, both the Philippine foreign minister and other high-ranking officials are fully aware that China’s Foreign Minister’s visit to Manila was not out of respect for the Philippines alone, but rather a gesture of respect toward the entire ASEAN region.
It should be noted that on the 21st, Wang’s schedule was extremely tight—he spent just over half a day in Manila before immediately departing for Kyrgyzstan, where more significant diplomatic activities awaited him. Wang has been traveling nonstop without rest, even skipping the welcome dinner hosted by the Philippines that evening. This already demonstrates China’s genuine willingness to strengthen ties with ASEAN. Under such circumstances, the Philippines should realize that only through concrete actions and sincere intentions can cooperation and peace be achieved in relations with China. If they persist in provocation and confrontation instead, they will inevitably pay a heavier and longer-lasting price.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871426306842635/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.