Key Philippine government officials will head over to Beijing within this week to meet with Chinese counterparts as discussions for the preparation and implementation of Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte's nationwide infrastructure projects come to the fore.
China has long been committed to supporting Duterte's "Build, Build, Build" (BBB) infrastructure programs through the country's official development assistance (ODA) in the form of loans and grants.
According to the report from a Philippine-based news outlet, Manila Bulletin, the visiting delegation from Manila will be headed by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III of the Department of Finance (DOF).
Dominguez and several other representatives of the finance department will be in the Chinese capital from August 22 to 24 to meet with their respective counterparts such as China's State Councilor and Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan, Director Wang Xiaotao of China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), and officials from various Chinese banking and financing institutions.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano may also join the party along with Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar.
Among the primary agenda of the meeting is to tackle the "issues and changes" in Duterte's aforementioned infrastructure project.
"The high-level meetings will focus on strengthening and enhancing our bilateral engagement and cooperation," the official statement from the DOF was cited over at Business Mirror.
The Philippine delegation, which is also slated to pay a courtesy call on Vice Premier of Economic Cooperation, Hu Chunhua, "hope" that the financial summit will prove fruitful and that the meeting will come up with viable plans to help expedite the implementation of Duterte's infrastructure programs.
The Two Baskets
Another important focal point of the Manila-Beijing Meet is the "updates on the progress of the 'first basket' of projects for Chinese loan financing," the DOF added.
This first wave of joint infrastructure project includes the construction of the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project, the Philippine National Railways's South Long Haul Project and the Davao-Samal Bridge Construction.
Also covered by the "first basket" is the construction of the Binondo-Intramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon bridges which has recently broken ground last month.
DOF also confirmed that the "second basket" of infrastructure projects is also included in the agenda. Under this proposed program is the construction of the Ambal-Simuay river and Rio Grande de Mindanao river flood control, Pasig-Marikina river and Manggahan floodway bridges, Subic-Clark railway, and Safe Philippines Phase I. Along with this is the rehabilitation of the Agus-Pulangi Hydroelectric Power Plants project which is in the southern part of the country.
