List of international trips made by Benigno Aquino III

President Aquino also met with the Filipino community living and working in Vietnam who are mostly in higher positions such as managerial and supervisory. After his State Visit, the President participated at the 17th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings where Vietnam was the current chair. On the sidelines of the summit, the President also had several bilateral meetings with neighboring countries such as Japan, Myanmar, South Korea, and Thailand among others.

President Aquino already met with Prime Minister Naoto Kan during the ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam last month, as the government of Japan approved a 21.4 billion peso Official Development Assistance (ODA) to fund major infrastructure projects in the Philippines.

The President’s visit comes at an opportune time as both the Philippines and Indonesia enjoy strong bilateral relations for more than sixty years, marked by frequent exchange of visits by the Heads of State and high-level officials.

He called on Singaporean President S.R. Nathan and met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives and various issues of bilateral and regional concern.

The President also served as keynote speaker in the Singapore Business Forum/International Enterprise Singapore Eminent Leaders Lecture entitled “Philippines-Partnership for Progress” and the Ho Rih Hwa Leadership in Asia Public Lecture Series at the Singapore Management University.

He also met members of the Filipino community and toured the Changi Water Reclamation Plant. At the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a new orchid breed was named after the visiting President as part of courtesies.

Some of the topics that will be discussed by the ten (10) member countries include the enhancement of sub-regional cooperation and narrowing its development gap, the critical role of Private-Public Partnership (PPP) and the ASEAN single window in which the Philippines will maximize the opportunities provided by the ASEAN economic integration through the free trade areas (FTAs). The meeting will also expedite the expansion of the East Asian Summit and other priority concerns such as maritime security, transnational crime, human rights and democracy.

Philippines and Thailand will celebrate 62 years of bilateral relations on June 14 and the visit is expected to further strengthen the mutual ties between the two countries. It will also enhance Thai investments in the Philippines as well as boost Filipino companies present in Bangkok. The President will be conferred with an honorary doctorate degree in Economics by Kasetsart University, the first agricultural university and the third oldest university in Thailand. President Aquino is also expected to meet the Filipino community in Bangkok.

The forthcoming trip of President Aquino highlights his meeting with some Bruneian businessmen and with the Filipino community here. He will also visit the New Philippine Embassy Chancery, where he will unveil the commemorative marker as part of the inaugural activities.

During his trip to Beijing, President Aquino will meet with China's three most powerful men namely President Hu Jintao, Chairman Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao. He will also have a series of meetings with businessmen and witness the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) in the areas of trade, investments, media, culture, education and tourism.

In Shanghai, known as the commercial and financial hub of China, President Aquino is scheduled to convene with the city government leaders led by the Secretary of Communist Party of China (CPC) Shanghai Municipal Committee Yu Zhengsheng. He is set to speak before Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone officials and other business enterprise managers in a high level forum. The President will also welcome possible trade investments during his meeting with various Filipino and Chinese businessmen based in Shanghai.

On the last leg of his state visit, President Aquino is expected to go to Xiamen City in Fujian province where he will meet with Fujian and Xiamen officials before visiting the Hongjian village, where his roots came from. There, he is expected to offer incense at the ancestral temple to honor his ancestors and interact with some of his relatives in the village.

In New York, the Chief Executive is set to participate in the launching of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) upon the invitation of U.S. President Barack Obama. OGP is a new multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. The Philippines is one of 2 Asian countries that is part of the 8-country steering committee of the OGP.

The President is also scheduled to hold several business meetings in New York and lead the ringing of the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

In Washington DC, President Aquino will deliver a public lecture at the 2011 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, as well as meet with U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye and the Filipino Community from the District of Columbia (DC), Virginia and Maryland.

At a recent press briefing, the President said that “the drives we have already been achieving in the Philippines are already being highlighted by World Bank.”

The President’s visit is set to focus on the promotion of the Philippines to investors, discussions on the use of nuclear energy and political-security issues, particularly the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and other things of interests to both countries. The Chief Executive is giving a keynote speech on the Philippine Economic Forum to inform the Japanese business community of investment opportunities and the renewed business climate under his administration.

President Aquino’s engagement includes a state call on Emperor Akihito and a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. He wants to thank Japan for its continuing assistance to the Philippines and wants to return the favour when he visits the Ishinomaki City in Miyagi. A series of meetings with top business leaders in Japan, members of the Filipino community, high-level officials of the Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee (JPECC), International Friendship Exchange Council, and Japan Ship-owners’ Association is also included among his official activities.