The Philippines is rolling out the red carpet for Chinese President Xi Jinping during his state visit

from November 20 to 21, or from Tuesday to Wednesday.

The state visit, the first one for a Chinese president in 13 years, comes with the usual trappings –
a welcome ceremony, a state banquet, a number of agreements to be signed, and meetings with
the country's highest officials.

While in Manila, Xi will be staying at the Shangri-La hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. He
will not be visiting Davao City anymore, unlike Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the first
head of state to visit the Philippines during the Duterte administration.

Here's what Xi's schedule looks like, according to Malacañang:

NOVEMBER 20, Tuesday

 Arrival on Tuesday morning at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1

 Wreath-laying ceremony at Rizal Park
 Official welcome ceremony in Malacañang
 Signing of the Malacañang Guest Book
 Expanded bilateral meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte and Cabinet members
 Witness of the signing of exchange of agreements
 Joint press statements by President Xi and President Duterte
 Restricted meeting and exchange of gifts
 State banquet with toast remarks

NOVEMBER 21, Wednesday

 Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Senate President Vicente Sotto III pay courtesy
call at Shangri-La
 Photo opportunity with leaders of the Filipino-Chinese community
 Depart Manila for China at NAIA Terminal 1
Chinese President Xi Jinping has landed at the Ninoy Aquino Aquino International Airport
Terminal 1 on mid-day of Tuesday to kick-off his first state visit in the country.

Xi arrived at the airport at around 11:50 a.m. aboard Air China.

He was greeted by a welcoming body that includes Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao
Jinhua, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Carlito Galvez Jr. and Finance
Secretary Carlos Dominguez, among others.

Xi, named by the Forbes magazine as this year’s most powerful man in the planet, is the second
head of state to conduct a state visit to Duterte. This is also the first state visit of a Chinese
president in 13 years.

Xi is expected to begin his two-day state visit in the country with a wreath-laying ceremony at
Rizal Park late this afternoon followed by the anticipated expanded bilateral meeting with
President Rodrigo Duterte and his Cabinet members at the Malacañang.

The two leaders, however, met several times in international events including the recently
concluded Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation World Leaders’ Summit in Papua New Guinea.

Duterte, known for his pivot to China as he veers away from longtime ally the United States, had
a state visit to Beijing in October 2016. He also attended the Belt and Road Forum in China last
May 2017 and went to the Boao Forum in April this year.

In 2016, Duterte sealed an estimated $24 billion investment and loan pledges from China.

Presidential spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said the two
leaders may talk about the loan and investment pledges during the state visit of Xi.

Xi last visited Manila in November 2015 when he attended the APEC under then-President
Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino III.

The Chinese leader is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China and the chair
of the Central Military Commission.
Long before the Philippines knew the United States, our ancestors already knew China. With
such close friendship, Chinese blood even runs in the veins of many Filipinos, including our
national hero Jose Rizal and leaders such as former president Benigno Aquino III and President
Rodrigo Duterte.

Ties between the Philippines and China, in other words, stretch back hundreds of years – but
power and money can complicate (not necessarily destroy) even the closest of friendships.

It is in this centuries-old context, complicated by a sea dispute and China's economic rise the past
few years, that we can view Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the Philippines from
Tuesday to Wednesday, November 20 to 21.

Xi Jinping's visit matters to Filipinos because of two major issues at stake:

 The future of the West Philippine Sea – particularly the planned signing of a joint
exploration framework, which critics allege is unconstitutional
 Warnings about the Philippines falling into a "debt trap" due to loans and grants offered
by China, the expected subject of deals also to be signed during Xi's visit

Xi makes this trip as China redeems itself after losing the international case filed by the
Philippines over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), and as China slugs it out with the
US for dominance in the Asia-Pacific (or what the US now calls the Indo-Pacific).

The visit also comes as the Philippines redefines its foreign policy, with Duterte vowing to move
away from Washington (despite his men doing otherwise on the ground), and with Foreign
Secretary Teodoro "Teddyboy" Locsin Jr now classifying countries into 3: "friends," "enemies,"
and "false friends."

While Duterte rolls out the red carpet for Xi, a harsh truth comes out hours before his arrival:
most Filipinos gave China a "poor" -16 net trust rating in a Social Weather Stations (SWS)
survey held in September but released only that day. This is a far cry from the "very good" +59
net trust rating of the US and the "moderate" +28 net rating of another Chinese rival, Japan.

At the same time, 84% of Filipinos reject the Duterte administration's policy of doing nothing
about China's intrusion in the West Philippine Sea, said the SWS. (READ: LIST: Schedule of
protests during Xi Jinping's PH state visit)

On social media, many of China's critics have replaced their profile photos with Winnie the
Pooh, to insult the Chinese president who is said to resemble the cartoon character. Many of
them have also tweeted using the hashtag #XiJinPooh. (Winnie the Pooh is banned in China as
the cartoon character is used to mock their leader.