The Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan is set to have a working visit to the Philippines from April 20 to 25 in order to bolster economic ties between the two countries. Tehan is expected to meet with Filipino officials and business leaders to discuss initiatives aimed at increasing trade and investment flows in key sectors such as agriculture, education, and the digital economy. The visit comes as Australia seeks to pivot its foreign policy towards the Indo-Pacific region where the Philippines has emerged as a key partner in trade and security.
Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also visiting the Philippines this week to tackle regional security issues. Yi is expected to meet with Philippine officials to discuss tensions in the South China Sea and other areas of mutual concern. The visit comes amid rising tensions between China and the Philippines over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where both countries claim ownership of several features.
Yi’s visit follows a recent visit by Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to Washington where he sought to strengthen defense ties with the United States. Lorenzana expressed concern over the growing militarization of the South China Sea, especially by China which has built and occupied several artificial islands in the disputed waters. He also warned against the risk of conflict and urged all parties to respect international law and resolve disputes peacefully.
The Philippines, which has an alliance with the United States, has sought to balance its relations with China and its other neighbors in the region. President Rodrigo Duterte has pursued closer ties with China since taking office in 2016 as part of his policy of diversifying the country’s sources of economic and security support. However, he has also faced criticism from some quarters for his perceived failure to assert the country’s sovereignty over its territorial waters and for his human rights record.
Despite these challenges, both the Philippines and Australia are eager to deepen their economic ties. Australia is one of the Philippines’ major trading partners, with bilateral trade reaching over $1.5 billion in 2020. The two countries have also signed a number of agreements aimed at enhancing economic cooperation, including a Memorandum of Understanding on Agriculture Cooperation and a Joint Declaration on Maritime Cooperation.
During his visit, Tehan is expected to explore new opportunities for Australian businesses to invest in and export to the Philippines, especially in high-growth sectors such as renewable energy, infrastructure, and medical technology. He will also seek to build on existing initiatives aimed at strengthening people-to-people links between the two countries, such as the Australia Awards Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships for Filipinos to study in Australia.
Overall, the visits by the Australian and Chinese officials reflect the growing importance of the Philippines as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific region. As tensions simmer over territorial disputes and other security issues, both countries are seeking to deepen their economic cooperation and build stronger ties with the Philippines as a way of promoting regional stability and prosperity.
