By Sara Fabunan
Manila Standard Today
Manila Standard Today
Malacañang on Sunday shrugged off criticism that President Benigno Aquino III was “undiplomatic” to Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying when he greeted the visiting official with his left hand inside his pants pocket.
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President Benigno Aquino III and his delegation left for a four-day state visit to New Zealand and Australia Sunday night. He will be back on October 26.
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Diplomatic faux pas. President Benigno Aquino III welcomed Chinese Vice Minister Fu Ying on Friday with his left hand in his pocket.
A photograph of their meeting Friday drew remarks that doing so was considered undiplomatic in many European and Asian countries.
Presidential deputy spokeswoman Abigail Valte played down such talk, saying what was important was the “positive outcome” of the talks.
She added that presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, who was at the meeting, described the talks as “very productive.”
File photos of the President at the Palace greeting other visitors also show the same mannerism.
Valte said the Philippines and China enjoy good relations despite tension over territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea.
“While we have contentious issues, we also work on many issues together,” Valte said. She added that there were many levels to the country’s relationship with China.
“We have tourism relationship with China. We also have a trade relationship,” she said.
The Aquino administration got off to a rocky start with China after a flubbed hostage rescue in August 2010 in which eight Chinese tourists were killed. Beijing subsequently blacklisted the Philippines as a tourist destination and recently said it would help the victims’ families sue the Philippine government.
Relations worsened over conflicting territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea.
On Friday, Fu and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio discussed a mutual legal assistance treaty that would help each side go after criminals and fugitives in each other’s territory.
Authorities from both sides expect better coordination once a mutual legal assistance treaty on criminal matters takes effect on Nov. 18, the Foreign Affairs Department said. With Christine Herrera
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