Chinese projects in PH to continue, envoy says

ABS-CBN News Posted at Sep 01 2020 09:25 PM MANILA - All China-led projects in the Philippines will continue as planned, its envoy to Manila said Tuesday, despite a US sanction on Chinese firms' involvement in the militarization of the disputed South China Sea. Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian described the participation of the Chinese companies and associated officials in domestic construction activities as "legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach." "The move by the US side, under the pretext of protecting the South China Sea, grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs and aims to drive a wedge between China and regional countries," he said in a statement. The US government in August blacklisted 24 Chinese companies for taking part in building artificial islands in disputed waters in the South China Sea. The companies were placed on the US Department of Commerce's "Entity List," which allows it to block exports of US goods and materials to them. Individuals associated with the South China Sea operations will also be unable to obtain visas to visit the United States. In his statement, Huang also praised the Duterte administration for charting "an independent foreign policy course" and pursuing "national interest" after allowing the construction of the Sangley Airport in Cavite. "We believe that the pursuit of an independent foreign policy is in line with the fundamental interests of the Philippines and its people," he said. The airport project is part of the Duterte administration's ambitious multitrillion-peso infrastructure program, "Build, Build, Build" that seeks to transform the country's economy. Huang said the "cooperation between China and the Philippines has always been based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win results." He also claimed that China's "Belt and Road" trade and infrastructure investment plan and "Build, Build, Build" program had yielded "fruitful results" to both nations. "Chinese companies have made important contributions in this endeavor. I believe that any attempt to undermine the normal economic cooperation between China and the Philippines will never succeed," he said. Since Duterte took office in 2016, he has adopted friendly ties to China in pursuit of improved economic ties, throwing Philippines' longstanding relationship with traditional ally the US.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more