Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo began her career as an economist and a professor of economics at a number of universities in the Philippines, including the country’s state university.  Even when she was still in the academe, she was already involved in fostering good relations with China.  More than 40 years ago, she was an active member of an organization called Association for Philippines-China Understanding and she had the good fortune to be invited to visit Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangchow, and Dachai back in the 1970’s, when China had not yet opened up to the world.

Her father Diosdado Macapagal was President of the Philippines from 1961 to 1965.  Thus, it seemed natural that at some point, some of the senior politicians in the Philippines recruited her to run for Senator, and that launched her political career.  She was President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010.  She still involved in politics, now serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Philippine national Congress. She was elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia in April, 2018.