The President’s trip to China was his first foreign trip in 2023. There he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.LESS than a year since he started his administration, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has already visited 10 countries to demonstrate his “friend to all” foreign policy and secure more investments abroad to boost local economic growth.
Marcos met with senior government officials of Indonesia led by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to discuss new bilateral accords. He then met with the business sector and the Filipino community based in Indonesia. The President would maintain a similar itinerary in most of his overseas trips. After his three-day visit in Indonesia, he flew to Singapore for an overnight stay.
The President capped 2022 by traveling to Belgium to join the ASEAN-European Union Commemorative Summit.THIS year, Marcos made six additional overseas trips as of June including state visits with two opposing world superpowers: the US and China. This was followed by his state visit in Japan last February and return trip to the US, this time, in Washington D.C., last May. While in the US, Marcos and US President Joe Biden announced a “strengthened and redefined” security and economic partnership, which includes institutionalized defense priorities, as well as the country’s hosting of the first ever Presidential Trade and Investment Mission from the US next year.
Marcos justified the need for such trips since it allowed him to introduce himself to other state leaders and bring home investment pledges.