BEIJING’S new envoy to Manila has vowed to thresh out issues surrounding the implementation of China-funded big-ticket infrastructure and development projects in the Philippines to fast-track their completion, the Department of Finance (DOF) said.
In a statement over the weekend, the DOF said newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian has agreed “to institutionalize the conduct of regular meetings” between the Philippines and China to iron out issues involving China-backed projects in the country.
The DOF added that it was Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III who proposed to Huang the holding of regular dialogues between high-level officials of Manila and China.
“It would be very helpful if we have regular meetings regarding these projects. Our suggestion has always been to meet once every three or four months,” Dominguez said.
Citing Huang, the DOF said the Chinese envoy vowed to “work very hard” to ensure that projects under the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure modernization program that are being implemented in cooperation with China would be launched “as soon as possible.”
“We will try to make this [regular meetings] happen as soon as possible. My suggestion is we need to institutionalize that kind of mechanism. Every three months to take place, every quarter,” Huang said.
Huang said he was informed by his staff at the Chinese Embassy that there are at least 10 projects in the Philippines that “are being completed” in cooperation with China.
“We hope all these projects will bring real tangible benefits to our peoples,” he said.
The two officials also discussed ways of improving people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries, particularly in the fields of sports, music and entertainment.
Huang, the DOF said, also reiterated China’s commitment to further improve its bilateral relations with the Philippines, which has been growing deeper since President Duterte assumed presidency in 2016.
Huang, who replaced Ambassador Zhao Jianhua as China’s ambassador to the Philippines, presented his credentials to Duterte last December 4.