On 20 August, Ambassador Zhang Jun had a VTC meeting with the new Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo.

Ambassador Zhang Jun welcomed Ambassador Manalo to his new post. He said that China and the Philippines are friendly neighbors facing each other across the sea. President Xi Jinping and President Duterte had a telephone conversation recently and reached important agreement on furthering bilateral ties. People of China and the Philippines supported each other in the fight against COVID-19, and China will continue to provide assistance where it can. Both China and the Philippines are developing countries in Asia. China is ready to strengthen communication and cooperation with the Philippines in the work of the United Nations to jointly safeguard regional peace, stability, and development.

Ambassador Manalo said that the world is facing a severe challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Philippines is grateful to China for the assistance and medical experts sent to the Philippines. The Philippines appreciates President Xi Jinping's announcement that with the completion of research and development and putting into use, China's COVID-19 vaccine will be made a global public good. The Philippines is in close communication with China under the frameworks of ASEAN-China and "G77 and China", and is willing to deepen cooperation with China on the multilateral front.