Despite controversies between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea, diplomatic friendship between the two countries has continued to grow strong.
Both countries look forward to a continuing friendship and mutually-beneficial relations between their peoples, which would translate to specific contributions to progress, and peace and harmony in the Asia Pacific region.
In a June 9 letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Rodrigo Duterte “as the entire world continues to face challenges to security and stability and the rule of law and with the rise of non-traditional and emerging threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic, further strengthening Philippines-China partnership takes on even greater significance.”
China has poured in $15-billion investment in various infrastructure developments, such as the Subic-Clark railway project by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and China Harbour Engineering Co.; Bonifacio Global City-Ninoy Aquino International Airport segment of the Metro Manila bus rapid transit-EDSA project by BCDA and China Road and Bridge Corp.; BCDA-China Fortune Land Real Estate; safe and smart city projects by BCDA and Huawei Technologies Transportation and logistics infrastructure at Sangley Point by Cavitex Holdings, International Container Terminal Services Inc. and China Harbour Engineering; joint venture agreement of Jimei Group of China and Expedition Construction Corp.; and North Negros biomass and South Negros biomass project by North Negros Biopower and Wuxi Huaguang Electric Power Engineering Globe Telecom.
China has also invested on a renewable energy project by Columbus Capitana and China CAMC Engineering New Generation Steel Manufacturing Plant by Mannage Resources and SIIC Shanghai International Trade HK; a joint venture on steel plants by Global Ferronickel and Baiyin International Renewable energy projects by Xinjiang TBEA Sunoasis; Davao coastline and port development project by Mega Harbor Port and Development and China Harbour Engineering; Manila Harbour Center reclamation by R-II Builders Inc. and China Harbour Engineering; Cebu International and Bulk Terminal project by Mega Harbour Port and CCCC
Dredging Company; cabling manufacturing facilities by MVP Global Infrastructure Group and Suli GrpLtd.; Manila EDSA Bus Transportation program by Phil State Group and Yangtse Motor group and Minmetals International; hybrid rice production by SL Agritech and Jiangsu Hongqi Seed Inc.; Bus manufacturing facility by Zhuhai Bus and Coach Co.; Banana plantation project by AVLB Asia Pacific and Shanghai Xinwo Agriculture Development Co.; and a 300MW Pulangi-5 Hydro Project by Greenergy Co. and Power China Guizhou Engineering Corp.
China has helped the Philippines in its successful trial planting of China’s hybrid rice and corn.
Earlier, the Duterte administration threatened to end the country’s century-old alliance with the United States by unilaterally abrogating the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement.