‘China offers US$14 mln arms package to the Philippines’
MANILA: China has offered to provide US$ 14 million worth of small arms and fast boats to the Philippines for free, aiding President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs and fighting terrorism, Manila’s defence minister said yesterday.
The offer was made by China’s ambassador Zhao Jianhua during a meeting with Duterte late on Monday night at the presidential palace, Delfin Lorenzana said, adding Beijing has also made available US$ 500 million long- term soft loan for other equipment.
“China has given us a list of military equipment and we will go through it to find out what we really need,” Lorenzana told reporters after giving out Christmas gifts to wounded soldiers at an army hospital in Manila.
“We might get some small arms, fast boats and night vision goggles because US$ 14.4 million is not that much. We will finalise the deal before the end of the year and a technical working team will soon go there to look at the equipment.”
Lorenzana said they hope to get the Chinese armaments by the second quarter next year. “The Chinese ambassador last night told the president, I know your problem in drugs so we would like to help you,” he added.
Just six months ago, Manila and Beijing’s relations were very frosty after the Philippines filed an arbitration case in The Hague, questioning China’s extensive nine- dash line claims on the South China Sea.
But, Duterte, who came into power on July 1, reversed the country’s foreign policy, distancing from Washington to pivot to Beijing and winning about US$ 24 billion in trade and investment pledges after an October visit to China.— Reuters