MANILA, Philippines- Malacañang hopes that Filipinos will also learn to value China despite Beijing’s low trust rating.
China’s “bad” net trust rating of 33 came out in the wake of the Social Weather Stations survey released Wednesday afternoon.

It dropped nine points from -24 in June, making it the lowest since June 2018.
But this did not surprise the Palace, said presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

“Ang mga resulta ng survey na isinagawa mula ika-27 ng Setyembre hanggang 30 ay inaasahan at madaling intindihin lalo na’t taliwas ang posisyon ng Tsina at bansa natin pagdating sa West Philippine Sea,” he said.

He refers to the two countries’ ongoing clash with its rival over the islands and oceans in the said South China Sea region.

Nonetheless, relations between President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who have been sending aid and loans to the Philippines several times — have been known to be warm.

“Naniniwala kami… na ang Tsina, gaya ng ibang bansa, ay matututunan ding pahalagahan ng mga Pilipino dahil sa independent foreign policy ng Presidente, na nagbunsod ng malaking pakinabang sa Pilipinas,” Panelo said.

In August, the Philippines and China raised their allegiance to the West Philippine Sea, but Duterte and Xi agreed that it would not destroy the Filipino-Chinese bilateral relationship. (Marian Sinamban/IAMIGO/CNS)