CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia reaffirmed Cebu’s vital role in fostering ties between the Philippines and China during the Philippine-China Friendship Day celebration on June 9, 2025, as the nations marked 50 years of formal diplomatic relations.
The event, organized by the Chinese Consulate in Cebu and held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino in Lahug, was led by Chinese Consul General Zhang Zhen and gathered members of the Filipino-Chinese community, local officials, and partners in cultural and economic cooperation.
Garcia, in her speech, emphasized that Cebu’s relationship with China runs deeper than five decades of formal diplomacy, citing centuries of cultural and economic exchanges that continue to shape Cebuano identity today.
“Cebu is unique, because while in Manila or other places you would find a Chinatown, in Cebu, there is none such,” Garcia said.
“Because I guess the entire Cebu is a Chinatown. I don’t think any of us seated here, not one, can claim that he does not have a trace of Chinese blood running in his veins,” she added.
Garcia said the formal establishment of diplomatic ties on June 9, 1975, is “a reaffirmation of what had already been started many centuries ago.”
Garcia said between the ninth and 10th centuries, Chinese traders had already been arriving in Cebu, bringing porcelain and other goods in exchange for local resources such as gold.
She said many stayed, intermarried with locals, and formed familial and cultural links.
Cebu’s Chinese heritage is deeply woven into its history, society, and economic growth, she said.
“That brotherhood, that bond had been established many centuries ago, and that relationship continues, not just in trade, not just in agriculture… even in each of us, as Cebuanos, as Filipinos, as brothers and sisters,” Garcia said.
The event also recognized Cebu’s bilateral partnerships with Chinese provinces, including Fujian, Guangdong, Guangzhou, Sichuan, Hainan, and Chengdu City.
These partnerships span sectors such as tourism, business, health, and education.
Garcia also mentioned a milestone agreement signed during her visit to China in 2024: the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Cebu Province and Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The MOU led to knowledge exchange on traditional Chinese medicine and a health summit in Cebu.
“From trading boats to becoming sister provinces… we have built partnerships beyond paperwork,” Garcia said.
She also acknowledged Fujian Province’s donation of P1.3 million worth of medical supplies to Cebu in 2024 as part of continued support and goodwill.
Garcia ended her speech with a call to sustain the partnership for generations to come.
“Long live our shared destiny and a shared future of peace and prosperity. Long live 50 years, and 50 more years—no, 500, 5,000, till infinity more years of the bond and relationship that China and the Philippines share,” said Garcia.
Zhang echoed this sentiment, describing the Philippines as “a neighbor whose connection cannot be moved away.”
Zhang also commended Cebu’s enduring contributions to cultural and economic diplomacy. / CDF