Understanding the Economic Diplomacy between China and the Philippines,” a peer-reviewed article by Dr. Tina Clemente, Associate Professor at the UP Asian Center, has been published in an issue of the International Journal of China Studies, a journal published by the University of Malaya.

The research "enlarges the domain of analysis and focuses on economic diplomacy to contextualize China’s approach within the ambit of its foreign economic relations with the Philippines."

"... economic diplomacy not only serves the national interest by acting strategically in securing a constant supply of critical resources, opening new markets for exports or finding new opportunities for investments. It also covers the use of economic statecraft in advancing foreign policy objectives. The research looks at empirics on trade, investment and aid, and juxtaposes the analysis with that applied to qualitative content from primary materials on bilateral agreements."

"The deconstruction of economic diplomacy according to a prosperity-stability map allows analysts of Philippines-China relations to ruminate on economic diplomacy goals and tools in a context that is deliberate and strategic. In practice, empirical research on economic diplomacy has much room for improvement."

[Update]: With her article, Dr. Tina Clemente received the International Publication Award (UP) from the University of the Philippines, which is offered as incentives to faculty and regular staff who publish their work in peer-reviewed, indexed journals. 

Dr. Clemente teaches graduate courses at the UP Asian Center, including one on the social and economic development of China, one of three courses required for students majoring on the Middle Kingdom. She obtained her Ph.D. in Economics from the School of Economics, University of the Philippines Diliman. View her full faculty profile


The UP Asian Center offers M.A. programs in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences