Philippines’ Marcos Jnr appoints career diplomat Enrique Manalo as new foreign minister
- Enrique Manalo has served as permanent Philippine representative to the United Nations, and ambassador in various countries
- Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was sworn in as Philippine president on Thursday after a stunning election victory
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Ferdinand Marcos Jnr takes office as the Philippines’ new leader
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr appointed career diplomat Enrique Manalo as foreign affairs secretary, the president’s press secretary said on Friday.
Before the appointment, Manalo served as the Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Prior to that, he was undersecretary for policy at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Manalo has asked for a few days before he takes over the position previously held by Teodoro Locsin so he could wind up affairs in his previous post, press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a text message.
In a speech in June, Marcos vowed to foster “stronger and deeper” Philippines-China relations.
He said relations with China are “very important” and “advantageous to both countries”, considering China as his country’s “strongest partner” in pandemic recovery.
