Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said China respected the Philippines’ sovereignty over the government’s policy on gambling during the meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week.
Dominguez said in a statement Friday he accompanied Duterte during a two-and-a-half hour bilateral meeting with Xi, and that the Chinese leader did not ask or request to ban offshore gaming operations in the country, which mostly employ Chinese nationals.
According to Dominguez, President Xi raised during the meeting Beijing’s concern about Philippine offshore gaming operators that lure Chinese gamblers to play online casinos.
“President Xi basically said that gambling is totally banned in China except in Macau where they tolerate gambling,” Dominguez said.
“He [President Xi] applauded the moratorium on new licensees in the Philippines,” Dominguez said, referring to the recent order by the state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. that stopped the issuance of additional POGO permits.
But Dominguez added President Xi commented that the Chinese government would appreciate it more if additional actions were taken by the Philippine government against online casinos catering to Chinese players.
Dominguez said President Xi’s statement on POGO during his meeting with President Duterte was just “a comment,” noting the Chinese leader knew and respected the Philippines’ sovereignty.
“President Duterte, however, took note President Xi’s comment,” Dominguez said.
Ahead of the meeting, Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Santa Romana said China could not dictate on the Philippines to ban all online gaming operations.
Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia earlier said online gaming industry should be carefully studied first before deciding its fate, adding the issue regarding POGO is “fluid.”
Despite the controversies involving POGO, Pernia said the presence of online gambling and its foreign workers in the country had actually benefited the local real estate sector.