Philippine ambassador to China: Southeast Asia to benefit from China's 15th Five-Year Plan

"China has put together a very ambitious blueprint, the 15th Five-Year Plan ... I expect that in the next five years, China will grow even faster and better," said Jaime A. FlorCruz, ambassador of the Philippines to China, in an exclusive interview with People's Daily Online. "We hope to be part of that. We hope we can benefit from China's growth. "

He spoke highly of China's rapid development in science and technology, noting that the country has "leapfrogged" in recent years and is now among the global leaders in areas ranging from consumer electronics to the Internet of Things. "It is very impressive — in such a short time, China has really come a long way," he said.

FlorCruz also spoke positively about China's policy direction of high-level opening up and win-win cooperation. He pointed out that Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, stand to benefit from China's expanding market, sustained investment, and growing technological capabilities.

"I really hope we can invite more Chinese companies, especially tech companies, to look into the Philippines as a market, but also perhaps as a manufacturing base," he said. "Hopefully more and more Chinese companies can join us in the Philippines and grow together with us."

Looking ahead, he expressed confidence in regional cooperation. "I am optimistic that there are many areas where we can grow together," he said.