Chinese ambassador says more funds to flow to Philippines

President Rodrigo Duterte speaks with China Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua on the sidelines of the New Year Vin d’Honneur at the Rizal Hall in Malacañan Palace on January 11, 2017. (TOTO LOZANO/Presidential Photo)

MANILA, Philippines—China’s ambassador says three out of 40 infrastructure projects that the Philippines has proposed for Chinese financing are expected to break ground this year, and there will be more investments in the coming years following a recent improvement in the two countries’ ties.

Ambassador Zhao Jianhua also expressed hope Friday that President Rodrigo Duterte could receive emergency powers soon because without them, urgent projects may not be finished within his single six-year term.

A Philippine Senate committee recommended in December that Duterte be granted emergency powers to address the country’s worsening traffic problem.

Duterte took office last June and has moved to rebuild once-frosty relations with China while threatening to scale back military ties with the United States.