Beijing, China---Yesterday, representatives of the Philippine government, headlined by the economic managers and infrastructure Secretaries, met with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), led by Minister Zhong Shan, to discuss economic and trade relations between the Philippines and China.

          The bilateral meeting stressed the need to deepen cooperation in commercial and infrastructure development. The Philippine delegation also provided updates on the progress of China-financed infrastructure projects, as well as projects pitched for feasibility study assistance by the Chinese government. Both sides affirmed their commitment to strengthen economic ties and work for the timely completion of the infrastructure projects in the cooperation pipeline.

          Some of projects discussed in the meeting were the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, the Kaliwa Dam Project, the North-South Railway Project-South Line (Long Haul), the Subic-Clark Railway Project, and the Safe Philippines Project Phase 1.

          "We came to China to coordinate with our counterparts and ensure that our priority projects will be rolled-out and completed as planned," said DBM Secretary Benjamin Diokno. "We appreciate all the help we can get with our ambitious Build Build Build program," he added.

          The MOFCOM meeting is part of the high-level meetings between the Philippines and China held in Beijing, China from August 22 - 24, 2018. The Philippine delegation will also meet with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), and the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM), to explore additional avenues of cooperation, economic aid, and investments.

The Philippine delegation is headed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, alongside Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Socio-economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia. Meanwhile, the infrastructure secretaries in attendance include Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) President and CEO Vince Dizon.  Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano also accompanied the group in the series of meetings with the Chinese government.

As a follow up to the high-level meetings, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit the Philippines in November 2018.

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