Previously the deputy assistant secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs at the department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, Ignacio and Philippine Ambassador to China, Jose Santiago Sta. Romana formally opened the Food Philippines Pavilion at the CIIE on Nov 6.

"Wandering into the halls of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), I was truly impressed by the scale and magnitude, the number of participants, pavilions and products on display, and the number of sales, deals and transactions taking place," he told China Daily.

Ignacio, who is looking to expand the country's presence at upcoming editions of the CIIE in terms of exhibitors, products and industries represented, attributed the current strength of Sino-Philippines economic cooperation to the success of China's opening-up and reform, as well as the Philippines' own emergence as a fast-growing economy over the past decade.

He pointed out that China was the Philippines' top trading partner and source of imports, and its second biggest source of foreign direct investment.

"This strong relationship is indicative of the positive effects of regional integration – the robust relations between China and the ASEAN, the impact of free trade agreements, and soon the RCEP," he said.

Ignacio described the relationship between China and the Philippines as a "comprehensive strategic cooperation", noting that China is fast becoming an important source of development assistance and aid for the Philippines. According to Ignacio, China has aided the Philippines with infrastructure development as well as provided large volumes of vaccines, test kits and essential medical supplies during the pandemic.

The Philippines has participated in the CIIE since the first edition of the expo in 2018. Despite the pandemic raging on in 2020, the Philippines nevertheless took part in the CIIE with a hybrid showcase that combined online and offline features. That year, the Philippine Pavilion raked in a record $462 million in sales, an increase of 16 percent from the $362 million earned in 2019, and a huge 72 percent increase from the $128 million in the inaugural edition in 2018.