President Aquino at the APEC Summit
On this year’s APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit, the Philippines along with other Asia countries will be the focus of discussions, as a result of the economic backlashes in Europe. Intensified trade liberalization and increased job creations are those that were promised by the United States to Asia. This would mean extensive economic relations for the Philippines to countries in the Asia-Pacific.
These earned gains in the summit are somehow answers to some criticisms aimed at President Aquino’s frequent trips abroad. Parallel with these results are his emphasis on his media interviews that whenever he leaves the country, he always carries with him the interests of the Filipinos.
Meanwhile, with every discussion like the APEC, exchanges of negative comments are inevitable. The Philippines was no exception. Before the summit, President Aquino has called China as its ‘benevolent big brother’ because of its monetary contributions to infrastructure and transportation. However, the Chinese delegate in the summit gave the comment that the Philippines is not a nice sibling to begin with. President Aquino seems to have been prepared to answer such remarks. He said that it was undeserved for his country to receive that statement for the Philippines have invested $2.5 Billion to China compared to China’s investment in the Philippines at $600 Million. He fronted that the Philippines have been a good brother, reciprocating as much as they could whatever they receive from their ‘big brother’.