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As we enter a new year, the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. endeavored to write a new chapter in Philippine-China relations. In his speech before embarking on a historic trip to Beijing, President Marcos laid out the fundamental objective of his visit: “I will be opening a new chapter in our comprehensive strategic cooperation with China.” He added that his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping will shift “the trajectory of our relations to a higher gear” and broaden cooperation between the two countries.

It’s a brand new year and I feel very optimistic about the direction of our country. The first six months of the new government have shown that our new President is serious about implementing a plan to sustain our economic recovery.

In a few days, 2022 will end and we will welcome a fresh, new year. Many experts have expressed pessimism on the capacity of the country to achieve growth in 2023. They cited the risks to growth in the coming year, including inflation, hikes in interest rates — both of which are expected to dampen spending — and an expected slowdown in growth in advanced economies. There are certainly reasons to be pessimistic. But from where I stand, I think there are equally compelling reasons to expect a resurgence of optimism.