ISUSULONG NG PINAS, CHINA: BUSINESS, INVESTMENT DEALS PA

HIGIT na tumatag ang bilateral business at economic relations ng Filipinas at China kasunod ng ika-5 pagbisita ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa Beijing noong Agosto 28-31.

Sa sidelines ng presidential visit ay nagsagawa ang Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) ng PH-China Business Forum na dinaluhan ng 272-business delegation mula sa established companies ng dalawang bansa. Kinabibilangan ito ng business executives mula sa steel, manufacturing, con-struction, mining, energy, electronics, tourism, gayundin sa blockchain technology industries.

“The Department of Trade and Industry is committed to aggressively promote increased business with China. This is an important opportunity for promoting investments and partnerships in line with our Inclusive, Innovative Industrial Strategy (i3s). Furthermore, this will increase capacities of our manufacturing base to serve the growing domestic demand, promote import substitution, and to export more—not only to China—but also to other markets,” wika ni DTI Sec. Ramon Lopez.

“Greater trade and investment engagements between our two nations will surely help us to create the needed opportunities for our countrymen so that they can attain a better life,” dagdag pa ng trade chief.

Ang China ang pinakamala­king trading partner ng PH, third largest export market, at top import supplier. Ang bilateral merchandise trade ng dalawang bansa para sa 2018 ay nasa USD 30.8 billion at USD 2.75 billion hanggang noong Hunyo 2019. Gayundin, ang PH exports sa China ay lumago ng 10% year-on-year average, mula sa USD 6.2 billion noong 2015 sa USD 8.8 billion noong 2018, at ng  7.7% yoy sa USD 4.6 billion noong Enero hanggang Hunyo  2019.

“China ranked fourth in terms of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) with USD198.7 million in 2018. As of January to May 2019, the country ranked first with USD95.0 million. Prior to 2016, China was not in the list of PH’s top 10 investors and in 2015, FDI from China was only half a million dollars.”

Kumpiyansa rin si Lopez sa ugnayan ng dalawang bansa sa ilalim ng administrasyon ni ­Duterte kung saan binigyang-diin niya na sa liderato ng Pangulo, ang bilateral relations ng PH sa  China ay nasa mataas na antas at nagbubukas ng maraming business opportunities sa pagitan ng dalawang bansa.

Ang PH business delegation ay kinabibilangan ng mga mi­yembro ng Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and Silk Road Chamber sa pangunguna ni Ambassador Francis Chua, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII) na pinangungunahan ni President Henry Lim Bon Liong, at ng ­Philippine Overseas Construction Board (POCB), sa pangunguna ni  DMCI Holdings Inc. Chairman Isidro Consunji.