U.S. Losing Philippine Allegiance To China?
Nov 09, 2014
Reports have surfaced that the United States might be losing the allegiance of ts longtime ally, the Philippines, to China as it has already signed up for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) last October 24 in a move that was dubbed as an unexpected development.
The head of the Philippine LaRouche Society, Antonio "Butch" Valdes, warned the citizens of the Philippines about the ploy of the U.S. He pressed that the country was being set up for destruction and that the war of the U.S. against China has something to do with the financial system of the West.
Philippine media have also reported accusations against China, pressing that it would like to take over the country.
For these reasons, the move of the Philippines has come as a surprise as the U.S. President Barack Obama has pressed other nations to boycott the China-led AIIB. Obama also asked Aquino to reject the offer of China in setting aside territorial issues in order for them to have a joint development.
The AIIB, whose goal is to counter the refusal of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in lending money to countries for long-term basic infrastructure, has 21 founding members. The group will be lending money to the other members without any strictness or conditions.
Political figures in the Philippines have noted that Obama is already losing control of the archipelage and predicted that Aquino will also be pulled down once Obama loses in the 2016 Presidential elections. They pointed out the progress of other Asian nations that are collaborating with China.
On October 29, former Philippine President Fidel Ramos gave a speech in Manila which touched on this issue. He urged the Philippines to restore its close relations with China because their economy will continue to collapse if the government will not do so.
Ramos also emphasized the importance of stability in the region, saying businesses will not be able to operate and help "produce wealth" without it.
Ambassador sees stronger Philippine-China relations under China's five-year development plan
By:
Philippines News Agency
November 8, 2014
BEIJING, China - The business relations between the Philippines and China continue to develop under China's Five Year Plan in a robust manner with the business sectors from both sides taking the initiatives to enhance trade and investment, the Philippine ambassador here said early this week.
In an interview with Radio TV Malacanang on Monday, Erlinda Basilio, the Philippine ambassador to China said that both sides recognize that there are opportunities in each other economies so the business sector continue the contacts and works in addition to government initiatives.
China's legislature, the National People's Congress, endorsed the country’s 12th Five-Year Plan on March 14, 2011.
The far-reaching plan sets China's course for the next five years: the social and economic measures contained in the plan will have a deep impact on the business landscape, both within China and in countries that do business with China.
Basilio said that the year 2014 is a good year for business contacts between the two countries.
The Philippine embassy and different Philippine consulates general in China have held a series of business roadshows as well as trade and investment and business matching meetings, she told RTVM.
For instance, PEZA Dir. Gen. Lilia de Lima successfully visited Beijing in the third quarter of this year to promote investments in the Philippines' economic zones.
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade also brought a business delegation to the Philippines to look for investment opportunities in the country, she said.
With regards to programs aimed at strengthening economic cooperation and how to urged China to invest more in the Philippines, she said that since the signing of the China-Philippines development program for trade and economic cooperation in 2011, both countries agreed to work together to boost economic relations.
In the 27th meeting of the Philippines-China joint commission on economic cooperation held in Shanghai in early August 2011, Basilio said Filipino and Chinese trade officials sought to further bolster the level of trade and investment to reinvigorate technical cooperation and trade promotion.
The Philippines and China also agreed to expedite their work in establishing a China desk manned by the Chinese official board of investment so that inbound and outbound investors in the Philippines can be served more efficiently, she noted.
The memorandum of understanding on this initiative was signed during the visit of President Aquino to China in August 2011.
Basilio also said that since 2011, China has assigned two Chinese advisers to the Department of Trade and Industry and the Board of Investments.
A memorandum of understanding between investments promotion agencies and the China-ASEAN business council on industrial cooperation was signed at the sidelines of the China-ASEAN expo last year, she added.
Ambassador sees stronger Philippine-China relations under China's five-year development plan