MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and officials of the Boao Forum for Asia during the recently concluded BFA Annual Convention in Hainan, China.

In her speech, the leader of the House of Representatives described the BFA discussion as “valuable” as it mainly covered the direction China is taking on its 40th year of reforms and its relationship with the rest of the world.

“China has given us the lesson that there is just not one path for development because prior to China’s experience, it was thought that the only way to development is the Western style model of Jeffersonian democracy and coupled with a free market,” Arroyo said.

“China has shown the world that you can have your own model of development using your own historical experience, especially China in the last 40 years. Since the opening of China 40 years ago, it has transformed itself, it is the world’s leading growth, unmatched in history.”

Arroyo said 400 million people have been lifted out of poverty in China.

“China is on the verge of becoming the largest economy in the world,” she said.

Arroyo also lauded Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative that aims to foster cooperation and development among nations.

The meeting was one of the highlights of the BFA Annual Conference 2019.

Arroyo, a Pampanga congresswoman, is on her second year as BFA board member, which gathers together leaders in government, business and academic institutions throughout Asia to share their thoughts on the most pressing issues in the region and the world.

She noted China’s remarkable growth particularly in the past two decades is showing the world that no development model can be applied universally and that the diversity of historical conditions determines the development paths that countries could choose.

China is partner

The former president also tried to correct misimpressions that Beijing is a threat to the region in Asia, especially since the economic and military giant has been at odds with several nations, including the Philippines, regarding overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

“So what I can say is that China’s effort in opening up has really been a boost for the economies of the world, especially the developing economies. The world should look at China’s rise as an opportunity rather than a threat,” Arroyo said.

She said China through the years has proven wrong the negative notions of its policies toward reform and opening up as it has become a partner in development.

“And as it is poised to lead global economy, it should not be treated as a competitor or a threat,” Arroyo said.

“The Philippines actually has been investing in China for quite some time now because we have a very big Filipino-Chinese community, so I’m sure they can invest further in China. At the same time, China is also now investing more and more in the Philippines,” she added.

“So this must be a win-win solution for the developing world.”