Opponents criticize Duterte for making too many concessions in return for billions of dollars of Chinese loans and investments that have yet to materialize
Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited the Philippines on Tuesday to further strategic gains made under President Rodrigo Duterte, who hailed a “new impetus” behind a relationship that his massive infrastructure ambitions could depend on.
Xi’s visit comes two years after the maverick Duterte declared he was reorienting his foreign policy away from longtime ally the United States and towards China, despite decades of mistrust and bitter maritime disputes with Beijing.
Duterte is facing criticism from opponents for making too many political concessions to China in return for billions of dollars of pledged Chinese loans and investments that have yet to materialize, or be committed to formally.
The two leaders on Tuesday oversaw 29 agreements of sorts, many of them broad or vague, from cooperating in education, culture and industrial park development to jointly promoting infrastructure, agriculture cooperatives and establishing sanitation protocols for shipping coconuts.
Duterte said there was “a deepening trust and confidence” between them and he and Xi had discussed increasing trade and investment, and China’s involvement in his signature $180 billion “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.
“With mutual respect, sincerity and adherence to sovereign equality, I will continue to work closely with President Xi,” he said.
However, of the 38 Philippine projects earmarked for Chinese involvement two years ago, only four were among the commitments made on Tuesday.
