3月20日，菲律宾外长卡耶塔诺访华，转交了杜特尔特总统致习近平主席的贺信，并热烈祝贺中国全国“两会”成功召开。卡耶塔诺是中国新一届政府成立后到访的首位外长，充分反映了当前两国关系的亲密程度。

近年来，中菲两国关系升温并取得长足进展，主要在于菲律宾新一届政府调整了战略思维。其原因，一是菲政府在一定程度上摒弃了权力政治的西式思维。受西方战略思维影响，菲律宾前总统阿基诺三世及部分高官更多地将国际关系视为权力争斗场，醉心权力算计，奉行大国平衡，企图借美国“重返亚太”之机牟取南海权益，但最终不仅没占到便宜，反而致使中菲关系倒退、地区局势趋于紧张。杜特尔特上台后，一定程度上跳出了权力斗争的思维桎梏，既看到了中菲之间的争议，也看到了中菲巨大和潜在的共同利益，并采取对话而非对抗、合作而非斗争的方式，改善了中菲关系，实现了合作共赢。二是菲政府树立了以发展为中心的理念。近年来，菲律宾虽然经济增速较快，但“有增长、无发展”的痼疾仍在，基建落后、治安恶劣、官员腐败等仍严重制约经济社会的发展。为养家糊口，大批菲律宾人还被迫背井离乡，他们虽然每年创造大量侨汇支撑国内消费，但在国外却备尝艰辛，有些还遭遇虐待。杜特尔特认识到，与其卷入大国政治斗争，不如聚焦国家发展，改变经济社会发展的落后局面。为此，杜特尔特对外奉行独立外交，对内则以缉毒为切入点，以基础设施建设为重要抓手，努力打造一个良好的营商环境，既吸引投资，也为国人创造更多的国内就业机会。近两年来，菲律宾治安已有所好转，而旨在改善基建的“大建特建”计划（Build, Build, Build project）也在有序推进。菲律宾学者理查德·加瓦德·海德林撰文称，“大建特建”计划无疑将会成为杜特尔特的政治遗产并将载入史册。

摆脱对抗思维，使菲律宾得以调整政策改善中菲关系。两年来，中菲关系取得了重大进展，不仅高层交往密切，政治互信持续增强，各领域的合作也得到了全面恢复与发展。2017年，中菲贸易额突破500亿美元，中国跃升为菲律宾第一大贸易伙伴，对菲投资也比上年增长了67%。其中，中国从菲律宾进口100万吨热带水果，赴菲游客达100万人次，使两国尤其是菲律宾民众获得了实实在在的利益。而聚焦发展的理念，则为中菲关系打开了更加广阔的合作空间。一方面，菲律宾巨大的经济社会发展需求为中菲合作提供了大量的机会。例如，就基础设施建设而言，菲律宾未来十年计划投入1800亿美元，目前正在研究的旗舰项目就达75个，包括6座机场、9条铁路、3条巴士快速通道（BRT）、32条公路与桥梁以及4座港口等，为中菲开展基建项目合作提供了重大机遇。另一方面，中国日益庞大的市场规模与更进一步的开放政策也为菲律宾经济的长足发展提供重要机遇。与美国特朗普政府强调“美国优先”和奉行贸易保护主义政策不同，中国主张“共商、共建、共享”的经济合作新理念，强调在经济合作中各国都是平等的参与者、贡献者和受益者，而这正应了中国的一句老话，即“一花独放不是春，百花齐放春满园”，正如中国领导人所表示的，“欢迎各国搭乘中国发展的列车，不管是搭快车还是搭便车”。为了让菲律宾在与中国的经济交往中获得更多实利，中国驻菲大使近日还鼓励菲律宾扩大对华出口。

显然，对话、合作、发展、共赢已日益成为中菲关系的主流，但是，菲律宾国内仍有一些人或出于无知，或出于不可告人的政治目的，极力诋毁杜特尔特政府的对华政策，例如制造所谓的“宾汉隆起”争议，以及给中菲探讨南海共同开发制造舆论压力等等。其实，就“宾汉隆起”而言，菲律宾国内的某些人大可不必紧张。中国外交部发言人已多次强调：“中方充分尊重菲方对'宾汉隆起'海域的权利”，且“关于这一点，中菲之间过去不曾、现在没有、将来也不会有争议”。而至于南海共同开发，其实也是一件值得探讨的事情，其对化解南海争端、实现地区和平繁荣显然具有重要的现实意义。菲律宾学者卢西奥·布兰科·皮特洛近日也撰文指出，在那些存在争议海域的东南亚国家中，菲律宾是唯一没有与邻国进行共同开发的国家。他不仅强调“共同开发是一种务实做法”，还分析了共同开发在菲国内和国际法律上的可行性，认为“共同开发原本不应在菲国内引起争论”。他甚至以东帝汶都能与邻近的大国——澳大利亚开展共同开发为例，反讽国内某些人反对与中国共同开发的不自信与不务实。

总之，寻求国家富强与人民安康是备受西方殖民之苦的东方国家百年来的共同梦想。过去50年，东盟国家通过搁置争议、平等协商、联合自强等充满东方智慧的“东盟方式”创造了“东盟奇迹”，同样，中国与菲律宾之间也能够通过东方式的智慧，巧妙化解争端，共谋发展，合作共赢。

Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano arrived in Beijing for a visit on March 20. During the meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Cayetano delivered a congratulatory letter from President Rodrigo Duterte to President Xi Jinping. His visit, the first by a foreign minister to China after “Two Sessions”, was a manifestation of close relations between China and the Philippines.

In the past few years, thanks to strategic adjustments by the Duterte administration, bilateral ties warmed. First, the Duterte government discarded the Western-influenced mentality of power politics. Under Western influence, former president Benigno Aquino III and some of his high-ranking officials considered international relations as an arena for power and benefits, and sought to balance between major powers. They attempted to gain rights and interests in the South China Sea by taking advantage of America's pivot to Asia, but failed to cash in on the American strategy, and instead suffered setbacks and the deterioration of the China-Philippine relationship and an escalation in regional tensions. After Duterte came to power, while acknowledging the disputes between China and the Philippines, he realized that there are huge common interests between the two. So, he chose the approach of dialogue, not confrontation, and cooperation rather than conflict, to improve relations with China and to achieve the goal of win-win cooperation. Second, the new government focused on social and economic development. In recent years, the Philippine economy developed remarkably fast, but its chronic problems were still haunting it. Infrastructure was lacking and backward, public security was worsening, and corruption among officials was rampant, and all these seriously hindered its social and economic development. Many from the Philippines had to go abroad to bring home the bacon. They, through hard work, sent huge amountw of hard currency back home, which helped support and drive up domestic consumption. President Duterte realized that it was imperative to shift from political struggle to economic development so as to put an end to the backward economic situation. Duterte pursued an independent foreign policy, fought against drug trafficking, and focused on building infrastructure, in an attempt to create a favorable business environment to attract foreign investment and create more job opportunities. In the past two years, public security has improved, and the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure construction program also made steady progress. Philippine scholar Richard Javad Heydarian wrote: “The 'Build, Build, Build' program will no doubt become a political heritage of President Duterte and will be written into the annals of the history.”

The Philippines, after ridding itself of the conflict-oriented mentality, adjusted its foreign policy to make it possible to improve its relations with China. In the past two years, China-Philippine ties improved, evidenced by frequent exchanges of high-level officials, growing political mutual trust, and full recovery and development of cooperation in all fields. In 2017, China-Philippine trade exceeded $50 billion, and China became Philippines' biggest trading partner, and Chinese investment in the Philippines registered a 67% increase year-on-year. That year, China imported 1 million tons of tropical fruits from the Philippines and Chinese tourists made 1 million trips to the country, bringing real benefits to Filipinos. When the Philippines shifted its focus to its economy and its development it helped open new horizons for cooperation. On the one hand, the colossal social and economic demand in the Philippines means unprecedented opportunities for China-Philippine cooperation. For example, the Philippines plans to invest $180 billion in the coming 10 years in infrastructure construction, and is now studying and making plans for 75 flagship projects, including six airports, nine railways, three BRT routes, 32 highways and bridges, and four ports, which could translate into enormous benefits for China-Philippine cooperation in infrastructure construction. The Chinese market and its opening-up policy also offer important opportunities for the fast development of the Philippine economy. Totally different from the “America First” and trade protectionism advocated by US President Donald Trump, China preaches a new concept for economic cooperation featuring “wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits”, and stresses that all countries are equal participants, contributors and beneficiaries in economic cooperation. As a Chinese saying goes, “a single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden”. President Xi also expressed clearly, "you can take a ride on our express train or just…hitchhike, all are welcome", and Chinese ambassador to Manila Zhao Jianhua also encouraged the Philippines to expand its exports to China.

Dialogue, cooperation, development and win-win outcomes have become the main features of the Chinese-Philippine relations. In the Philippines, however, some people, either out of ignorance or due to ulterior political motives, are trying to smear Duterte's China policy by cooking up disputes relating to Benham Rise and by exerting public pressure on the joint development of the South China Sea. In fact, as far as Benham Rise is concerned, they should not have made a fuss out of it at all. China's Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated that “China respects the Philippines' rights and interests over the area of Benham Rise” and “there has never been and will not be any dispute over this region between China and the Philippines”. As for joint development in the South China Sea, it's a matter for further discussions, and will have important and practical significance for achieving regional peace and prosperity. Philippine scholar Lucio Blanco Pitlo III wrote recently that among Southeast Asian nations involved in sea disputes, the Philippines is the only one that has not started joint development with neighboring countries. He stressed that joint development is a pragmatic approach, and after analyzing the feasibility for joint development in terms of Philippine domestic and international laws, he said he believed joint development should not have caused any controversy or debates. Citing the joint development between Timor-Leste and its big neighbor Australia as an example, he wondered why some in the Philippines still oppose joint development with China.

It is China and the Philippines' common dream to make their countries stronger and their people richer. In the past 50 years, the ASEAN countries, through the approach of shelving disputes, equal consultations, and joint development, have created the “ASEAN miracle”. China and the Philippines, through such approaches full of Oriental wisdom, have also deftly resolved disputes and are working together for development and win-win cooperation.