Philippines Reinforces Trade Ties with China Through Strategic Fair Participation

Beijing, September 17, 2025 — In a clear signal of renewed economic diplomacy, the Philippines has stepped up its trade and investment overtures toward China by participating in two of China’s most significant international fairs this month: the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, and the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) in Xiamen. These back-to-back appearances reflect Manila’s determination to deepen trade relations, attract Chinese investment, and position itself as a resilient hub for services in Asia.

The Philippine pavilion, organized jointly by the Department of Tourism–Beijing and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center–Beijing, showcased sectors in which the country aims to gain competitive advantage: tourism and hospitality, digital services, health and wellness, creative industries, education, and professional services. In his address during the Philippine country forum at CIFTIS, Ambassador Jaime A. FlorCruz extended invitations to Chinese investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs to explore opportunities in the Philippines, emphasizing its global competitiveness and economic resilience.

Manila’s participation in CIFIT facilitated matchmaking meetings with Chinese enterprises, laying the groundwork for future joint ventures. Ambassador FlorCruz remarked that the strong presence of Philippines at both fairs was not merely symbolic but an indicator of consistent resolve in promoting the country as a premier destination for trade and investment from China.

Officials reported that through these fairs, the Philippines aims to send multiple strategic messages: one, that it is open for high-quality Chinese investments; two, that services-sector collaboration (such as in digital, health, education) are priority areas; and three, that bilateral economic engagement can proceed even amid broader geopolitical tensions. Manpower, culture, and soft diplomacy were also part of the mix, with cultural performances, product showcases, and interactive promotions at the pavilion to solidify people-to-people and business ties.

Trade-and-investment experts see this as part of a longer trend in which the Philippines is balancing its foreign partnerships: forging stronger economic ties with China while also maintaining relationships with other major partners. Beijing’s major trade fairs offer Manila direct access to Chinese supply chains, financial capital, and consumer markets. Moreover, sectors such as digital services and health offer high growth potential, especially if regulatory and administrative challenges in the Philippines are addressed.

Challenges remain, however. Some Filipino stakeholders continue to voice concerns over regulatory bottlenecks, infrastructure limitations, and ensuring that foreign investments generate tangible jobs and local value rather than being extractive. For China-Philippines trade relations to be mutually beneficial in the long run, transparency, quality control of investment projects, intellectual property protection, and environmental safeguards will be key.

Nonetheless, Manila appears confident. As Ambassador FlorCruz stated, “Our strong showing at CIFTIS and CIFIT underscores our consistency, our resilience, and our ambition to be more than just a destination — but a partner.” Officials suggest that in coming months there will be follow-up trade missions, bilateral meetings, and possibly new memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed to convert fair exposure into concrete commitments.

For China, such gestures from the Philippines are likely welcome, fitting into Beijing’s broader strategy of promoting services trade, investment flows, and global economic cooperation in fairs such as CIFTIS, which in its latest edition drew thousands of companies, including many international ones, and yielded hundreds of business agreements.

As both nations navigate complexities of regional geopolitics, economic interdependence through trade fairs remains one of the more practical arenas where cooperation can grow. With Manila making solid strides at CIFTIS and CIFIT, the outlook for strengthened Philippines-China trade relations is looking more promising than ever.