MANILA: Despite the row over maritime territories and occasional exchange of bitter words, China and the Philippines still enjoy a “deep historical friendship,” the top Chinese diplomat in Manila said.
Outgoing Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing believes that the tension between the Asian neighbours will not last long as both sides are keen on mending the “strained” relationship.
“United we win, [divided] we lose. So, upon leaving, I have the confidence that I would look forward to the day when our relations would [be back] the normal track and will be even better again. I hope the day will come sooner than later,” Ma said in a farewell dinner on Tuesday night as quoted in a state news report.
Ma was appointed ambassador to the Philippines January 2012 and will end her tour of duty early next year.
“I learned a lot from these two years. One of the most (challenging) experiences is that how to deal with a host country with which your own country has a conflict of sovereignty. It is very complex (since) it bears the national sentiments of both countries,” Ma admitted.
Ma said that her term as China’s representative in Manila was immediately met with a renewed public and political interest on the overlapping claims over Spratlys Islands in the West Philippine Sea--a situation she dealt with locally by winning friends and reaching out.
The Philippine star
