Aquino invited to China, Vietnam on Day 2 in US

Armed with 12 attaché cases containing papers for the various meetings that he is scheduled to attend, President Benigno Aquino III has so far been invited to visit at least two countries, Vietnam and China, on the second day of his stay in the United States on official business. “There are a lot of responsibilities. I’ll be meeting so many of my counterparts throughout the world. It is my duty to ensure that I’m prepared before I meet all of them. We have something like 12 small attaché cases with all the briefing materials for each and every meeting that we will be conducting during the whole trip," Aquino told reporters in an ambush interview. Aquino initially met with Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet, who officially extended the invitation for Aquino to undertake a state visit to the neighboring country before he attends the ASEAN Summit in Hanoi from October 28 to 30. (See: Aquino accepts invitation to visit Vietnam in October)
At least four agreements are expected to be signed during Aquino's visit to Vietnam, which will "institutionalize bilateral cooperation in the areas of higher education, defense, and maritime affairs." Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo also said representatives of China have also extended their invitation to Aquino to visit their country. Just before Aquino departed for the US, his officials had submitted the final report of a probe on the August 23 hostage tragedy, in which eight Hong Kong residents were killed and seven others injured, throwing Philippine-China relations into a minor stumble. “There are invitations to [Aquino] everywhere. But like he said, in accordance with tradition, he will visit the Association of Southeast Asian nations first, which is in Hanoi for the regional ASEAN summit," Romulo said. The President and his 55-member delegation flew to the US Monday night (Manila time) to begin a one-week itinerary, which includes addressing the United Nations General Assembly, attending the ASEAN-US Leaders summit, and witnessing the signing of the $434-million Millennium Challenge Corporation grant for anti-poverty programs during the UN summit. His itinerary also includes attending business conferences and meeting American businessmen with a view to attracting investments and generating jobs for Filipinos. Media blitz Apart from being invited to Vietnam and China, Aquino and his delegation also granted interviews to American media. When he arrived at New York Tuesday afternoon, Aquino was interviewed by the New York Times, the largest local metropolitan newspaper in the United States. The interview covered topics ranging from overseas Filipino workers, the Maguindanao massacre, the Abu Sayyaf, the insurgencies in the south, and the US' and regional concerns regarding the Spratly Islands. He was also interviewed by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday evening (Manila time; Wednesday morning in New York). Aside from these, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning head Ramon “Ricky" Carandang said the president will have "some TV exposure," while Cabinet secretaries have also given interviews to Bloomberg and Reuters. Malacañang on Wednesday admitted that the government hired the services of a US public relations firm to ensure that Aquino will get media exposure during his weeklong working visit to the US. (See: Palace admits hiring US PR firm for Aquino’s visit) Carandang said hiring the services of a public relations firm in a foreign country is "standard operating procedure" for visiting government leaders. No lavish meals Aquino, who prohibited the use of sirens by government officials when traveling, said US Secret Service escorts used sirens to bring him from the airport to the Sofitel Hotel, where he is billeted. He said it was beyond his control because “we’re just visitors here." Nevertheless, the President is sticking to his earlier promise not to take lavish meals, unlike his predecessor. When Aquino arrived in San Francisco on Sept. 20, he and his Cabinet secretaries had burgers from In-N-Out Burger at the airport's holding area. He had a steak dinner Tuesday at the Keens Steak House at the Manhattan landmark, with steaks costing from $31 to $120. On Wednesday, the President had lunch at the Serafina Fabulous Grill, where a pasta dish costs $12.50 to $23 and beef or chicken dishes cost $18 to $26. (See: Aquino sticks to frugal lifestyle in New York)—Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV