BEIJING--As superlatives continue to be heaped on China for the Great Wall-proportion of its Beijing 2008 Olympics opening, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is basking in China's glory, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said.

"She has earned the trust and respect of fellow leaders, big leaders like President Hu Jintao," he said of the President's sitting at the head table in the welcome luncheon that the Chinese leader hosted for about 80 world leaders.

"You can name any other leader there, but our President was chosen to sit at the head table. It shows the respect of the Chinese leader and the Chinese people [for her]. And I have seen it other world fora, where she has been able to hold her own, have her views listened to, and accepted by world leaders," he said.

Romulo said he hopes that the next Filipino president will have Arroyo's "intelligence, dedication, and hard work."

Earlier, in her address to the Filipino community here, the President also expressed pride at the honor of sharing the table with the world's top leaders, including United States President George W. Bush, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

"Today the Philippines-China relations are at an all-time high…In [Friday's] luncheon for 80 heads of government, only a dozen were at the head table, kasama dito ang Pangulo ng Pilipinas [the President of the Philippines was one of them]. Of the 80, not all can have bilateral meetings [with Hu], but in groups. Only a few had bilateral meetings and one on one, this morning [Saturday morning], one of them was the Philippine delegation," she said in Filipino.

Arroyo returned the favor of the Chinese hospitality by calling China and Hu "old friends." She recounted that China was among the first to congratulate her when she assumed the presidency in 2001.

She also said China was her first state visit as head of state, as vice president, in the Apec Summit in 2001. She said that while the world called the Olympics the coming-out party for China, she believes that it was the summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation that was.

"It also came on the heels of the tragedy of 9/11 which changed the world and heightened world concern regarding terrorism which generated so many unfortunate events, including a global economic slowdown similar to what's happening now," she said. Arroyo said that Apec summit played a major role to send a clear signal that the world was united in its efforts to counter the threats of terrorism and promote Apec's vision of a free, open, and prosperous economies.

That was in "great part to the leadership of China in the summit and afterwards," she said.

Arroyo again praised the Chinese for hard work to make the spectacular facilities and exciting events associated with the Beijing Olympics 2008.

She told the Filipinos who live and work in China that as Hu noted trade between the two countries reached $30 billion.