The Chinese government is eyeing greater collaboration with the Philippines in science and technology and higher education as it underscored that Asian countries have a significant role to play in the global economy.

“Asian countries, China and the Philippines included, are emerging as the new engine of the global economy and increasingly the center of its opportunities and challenges. We are also at a rare moment in history, when the possibilities of cooperation and collaboration among developing countries flourish than never before,” Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao said.

“Science and technology, education and research, enterprise and innovation are the common thread that will link all our joint endeavors of the future. That is why I believe that critical to future China-Philippines relationship will be a new emphasis on science and technology collaborations and partnerships in higher education,” he said.

Last October, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo signed in Manila the “Philippines-China Joint Action Plan for Strategic Cooperation” (JAP), an agreement mapping out strategic directions in bilateral cooperation in the next five years.

Areas of cooperation under the JAP include cultural, education, and media; science and technology; regional and multilateral cooperation; political; trade, investment, and finance; agriculture and fisheries; food safety; tourism; defense and security; law enforcement and judicial; consular; and sustainable development.