PH won’t stop projects with China firms blacklisted by US

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is accompanied by People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing prior to their bilateral meeting on April 25, 2019. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte will not follow the US move to blacklist Chinese firms engaging in reclamation activities in the South China Sea, Malacañang said Tuesday.

In a virtual Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said all projects involving Chinese companies that are banned in the US can continue in the Philippines.

“The President declared last night that the Americans ay pupuwede po nilang ipatupad iyong blacklisting ng mga Chinese companies sa kanilang teritoryo sa Amerika at siguro doon sa kanilang mga base militar na nasa ilalim ng nga kanilang hurisdiksyon (can blacklist Chinese companies in their territories in America and perhaps their military bases under their jurisdiction),” Roque said.

He said Duterte refused to copy the US because the Philippines is a “free and independent nation”.

“Pero malinaw po ang sinabi ni Presidente, hindi po siya susunod sa direktiba ng mga Amerikano dahil tayo po ay malaya at independiyenteng bansa at kinakailangan po natin ang mga namumuhunan galing po sa bansang Tsina (But what the President said was clear: He will not follow the directives of the Americans because we are a free and independent nation and we need those investments from China),” he said.

Roque said this means that projects including the PHP500-billion Sangley International Airport project in Cavite will push through.

“Sangley and all other projects, kahit sino pong Chinese contractor iyan, tuluy-tuloy po iyan dahil ang pang-national na interes natin ay masigurado na matapos po iyong mga flagship projects natin sa ilalim ng Build, Build, Build (whichever Chinese contractor that is, will continue because our national interest is to ensure that our flagship projects under Build, Build, Build will be completed),” he said.

Earlier, Roque said Duterte charted an “independent” foreign policy course that puts the national interest “at the core”.

He added that Duterte’s “main” consideration is “what is best” for his administration’s Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

The Sangley Airport project, which involves land reclamation and expansion of an existing small airport, was bagged by state-owned China Communications Construction Co. Ltd (CCCC) and Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia.

Several firms related to CCCC were among those facing restrictions imposed by the US.

Washington imposed sanctions against China state-owned enterprises and visa restrictions on individuals behind the dredging and militarization of the disputed features in the South China Sea.

The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan have overlapping claims over the South China Sea with Beijing, which has built artificial islands in the contested waters.