Five former Chinese ambassadors to the Philippines had a reunion tour of the Philippines from July 5 to 10. The Chinese delegation was headed by H.E. Ke Hua, the first PRC ambassador to the Philippines in 1975 and Amb. Wang Yingfan, Vice Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of China's National People's Congress. Others are Ambassadors Chen Songlu, Huang Guifang, and Guan Dengming.

Philippine President Arroyo Posing with Former Chinese ambassadors

The visit of former Chinese Ambassadors is part of the year-long celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of the Philippines.

On July 8, the Chinese ambassadors paid a courtesy call on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, during which both sides reviewed the tremendous achievements in bilateral ties and expressed strong desire to further strengthen the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries.

During the visit, Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo met with the Chinese guests and hosted a luncheon in their honor. House Speaker Jose de Venecia hosted a dinner to welcome the Chinese ambassadors. The delegation also met with former first lady Emelda Marcos and her family. The former Chinese envoys were also warmly welcomed by Pilipino-Chinese Community.

The Philippine leaders and people expressed great appreciation of the valuable contribution of the Chinese guests to building bilateral relations. The former ambassadors were also delighted to see the friendly relations of the two countries now flourish in a golden age. They also pledged to continue their contributions to developing the long-lasting friendship between the two peoples.