The Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen held a dinner reception and piano concert at Kempinski Hotel in Xiamen City on 11 June 2019 as part of a series of activities to commemorate the 121st Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence.
Guests at the event were entertained by the international debut of the Manila Piano Trio, a newly formed musical group under the auspices of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), which was warmly received by the guests.
Fujian Province dignitaries and guests numbering 300 attended the occasion led by Mr. Han Jingyi, Xiamen City Vice Mayor, Mr. Chi Chiew Sum, Singapore Consul General, Ms. Karntimom Ruksakiati, Thai Consul General, Mr. Yao Jianhong, Deputy Director General, Xiamen Foreign Affairs Office (FAO), Mr. Wang Hongkang, Director General, Longyan FAO, Mr. Ning Jianmin, Deputy Director General, Zhangzhou FAO,Ms. Chen Ling, Director General, Jinjiang FAO, Mr. Gong Yishi, Director General, Shishi FAO, Mr. Joeven Wang, Director General, Xiamen Municipal Bureau Of Convention And Exhibition Affairs, Mr. Zhang Quanjun, Chairman, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT Xiamen), Mr. Su Chong, Director General, Xiamen Foreign Service Center (FSC), Ms. Li Suzhen, Representative, Putian FAO, members of the Fujian diplomatic corps, businessmen, academe, Filipino community leaders, media and the Consulate General’s official contacts.
Consul General Flores underscored that the Consulate General helped to contribute in manifold ways toward the strengthening of relations with China, particularly with Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. In order to generate greater appreciation and understanding of the Philippines, the Consulate General sought to promote to the general public actively the Philippines in a variety of ways highlighting its rich history, diverse arts and culture, through various activities, including cultural exchanges, trade and investments and tourism promotion, promotion of twinning partnerships, and other similar collaborative undertakings.
Leading up to the Consulate General’s 25th Anniversary of its establishment in 2020, Consul General Flores called on all partners to help and support the formation of an informal mechanism, the Philippines-Fujian/Jiangxi Cooperation Council, with the aim of synergizing efforts in all fields of endeavors.
For his part, Vice Mayor Han highlighted that “Amity between the people holds the key to state-to-state relations.” Xiamen and the Philippines, who are friendly neighbors and also important partners in the Belt and Road Initiative, boast a long history of interactions. Xiamen has been twinned with Cebu since as early as 1984 which have carried out productive exchanges and cooperation in wide-ranging fields.
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