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China-Philippines relations
This Week in AsiaPolitics

China, Philippines defence chiefs discuss South China Sea as Beijing pledges US$20 million donation

  • Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe met his counterpart Delfin Lorenzana as well as President Rodrigo Duterte on a high-profile visit to Manila
  • The trip, which came after four lower-key visits to Southeast Asian capitals, also saw Beijing donate US$20 million worth of non-combat equipment

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Philippine defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana (left) and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe at the Department of National Defence in Quezon City on September 11. Photo: AP
Raissa Robles
China on Friday pledged to donate US$20 million worth of non-combat equipment to the Philippines as defence minister Wei Fenghe met his counterpart Delfin Lorenzana as well as President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila.
Wei, fresh from a tour of three other Southeast Asian capitals, agreed with Lorenzana on closer cooperation between their militaries and the continuation of dialogue to manage the ongoing South China Sea dispute, statements from both sides said. The defence ministers held a ceremonial signing inside military headquarters Camp Aguinaldo for the donation of equipment to be used for humanitarian and disaster relief operations, the fourth such donation from Beijing since 2017.

Wei also met Duterte, with a statement from China’s defence ministry quoting the president as saying Wei’s delegation was the first high-level group to have visited Manila since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, and that it showed Beijing’s regard for Sino-Philippine ties.
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Beijing’s latest donation came on top of a May gift of US$292,000 worth of medical supplies and personal protective equipment from China’s defence ministry, and US$30.8 million worth of engineering equipment provided to the Philippine armed forces last year.

Wei and Lorenzana also agreed to continue revising the 2004 Philippines-China memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation, which would pave the way for “more personnel exchanges, training, and better communications channels” between the two militaries, according to a press release issued by Lorenzana’s office.

01:05

‘China has the arms, we do not’, Duterte rules out confronting Beijing in the South China Sea

‘China has the arms, we do not’, Duterte rules out confronting Beijing in the South China Sea

The Chinese defence ministry’s statement added that the Chinese military was willing to strengthen its ties with the Philippine armed forces. It stressed that maintaining the stability of the South China Sea was a shared responsibility of the two countries, and that disputes in the waterway should be resolved through consultation.

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