AFP chief: China has sent joint patrol mission feelers EC PRESIDENT VON DER LEYEN TO VISIT MANILA

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome @maloutalosig

However, he immediately denied, when asked by reporters, that the Chinese proposal indicated the venue to be the West Philippine Sea or any area in the South China Sea that is uncontested by both Manila and Beijing.

Brawner was the special guest during the Embassy’s dinner reception for the CPLA’s 96th founding anniversary in Pasig City Wednesday night.

I n a side interview with reporters, Brawner said Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian mentioned to him that the Embassy submitted a white paper to the DFA embodying their informal proposal for CPLA and AFP to hold joint patrols. They (Chinese Embassy) offered us this prospect (of joint patrol), but we have to study it further,” Brawner said.

T he Embassy has yet to confirm the joint patrol proposal.

T he AFP has conducted joint patrols with neighboring countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia to fight piracy and human trafficking.

L ater this year, the Philippines, the US, and Australia are planning to hold joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea to improve interoperability among its navies.

W ithout referring to the dispute in the West Philippine Sea, Chinese defense attache to Manila Senior Col. Li Jianzhong reiterated that, “China will never seek expansion and resolutely oppose hegemonism and power politics.”

He enumerated the strides made by the CPLA and AFP to improve understanding through bilateral exchanges during the past six years of the Duterte administration. These include:

■ High-level visit of State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe in September 2020;

■ Donation of over P1.7 billion worth of weapons and equipment to the AFP for its anti-terror war in Marawi City in 2018;

■ Dispatch of training experts from China’s Ministry of National Defense to the Philippines, providing technical guidance on use of donated Chinese weapons and equipment;

■ Training of more than 110 DND and AFP officials in China since 2016;

■ Deployment of military aircraft to send P14 million worth of vaccines and other anti-pandemic materials;

■ Port calls by CPLA Navy missile destroyer in 2017 in Davao City and escort group vessel in 2019 in Manila; I believe that the CPLA and the AFP will make greater contribution to the China-Philippines strategic cooperative relationship by further strengthening communication and enhancing bilateral exchanges,” Senior Col. Li said in his speech during the dinner reception.

For his part, Chinese Ambassador Huang said China “has all along adhered to the national defense policy of active defense and a holistic approach to national security.”

“ China advocates promoting cooperation through dialogue, promoting peace through cooperation and handling differences and disputes with peaceful means,” Huang said.

A side from Brawner, other VIPs present at the reception dinner were former defense secretary and now Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) chairman Delfin Lorenzana, and other officials from the AFP, Department of National Defense and Department of Justice.

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

MALACAÑANG on Thurs- day announced the upcoming three-day official visit of European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen to the country.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is pleased to welcome the upcoming official visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen from 30 July to 01 August 2023,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a brief statement.

S he is scheduled to meet with Philippine government officials, as well as private business and civic entities.

T his will be the first time an EC President will visit the Philippines.

T he event is expected to help further strengthen the country’s bilateral relations with the EU.

“ President von der Leyen’s visit is hoped to bring the Philippines and the EU even closer, as both countries step up cooperation activities in trade, economic cooperation, development cooperation, maritime cooperation, climate and environment, space cooperation, digital connectivity,

VON DER LEYEN among other sectors,” PCO said. Von der Leyen’s visit comes as the country is seeking an extension of the validity of the country’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) from the European Union (EU), which is set to expire this year.

T he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) earlier said the EC is inclined to extend the validity of the existing GSP Regulation until December 31, 2027.

T he GSP+ is a special incentive arrangement that allows the country to export goods included in 6,270 product lines to the EU market without any tariffs.