MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte will go to Cambodia and Hong Kong before embarking on his much-awaited travel to China for a conference on the One Belt One Road initiative, among others.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs acting spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar, Duterte will attend the World Economic Forum in Cambodia from May 10 to 11.
Duterte has been invited as an honored guest at the WEF, along with the prime minister of Vietnam, now chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
As ASEAN chair, Duterte is expected to share his insights on the challenges facing the entire region.
Among others, he is expected to discuss the strategic measures taken by ASEAN to boost trade and investment, integrating micro, small and medium enterprises in the digital economy and growing the innovation-driven economy, and reducing trade transaction cost by 10 percent by the year 2020.
The President is also expected to deliver a message to the youth of ASEAN and engage businessmen in Cambodia before attending a press conference. Officials said the President will use the occasion to promote his Dutertenomics.
Some 700 leaders from business, government, civil society and media are expected to attend the WEF in Cambodia.
From Cambodia, Duterte flies to Hong Kong, where he will stay from May 11 to 13, spending much time with the Filipino community, said Bolivar.
Some 210,000 Filipinos are based in Hong Kong, mostly working in hotels and restaurants, or as household workers.
From Hong Kong, the President will fly to Beijing for his second trip to China, from May 13 to 15.
