CNA Insider
‘They’re taking him for a ride’: Has Philippines gained from Duterte’s China pivot?
In 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warmed to Beijing in exchange for investments. But so far, only a fraction of the billions of dollars pledged have materialised. The programme Insight asks if his China policy has come to naught....
The centrepiece of the Duterte administration’s economic policies is the “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) programme, which consists of some 20,000 infrastructure projects including airports, seaports and highways.
With China’s funding touted as the best option for upgrading the country’s infrastructure, the Philippines was set to usher in a “golden age of infrastructure”.
But less than five per cent of China’s promised US$24 billion (S$32 billion) in loans and investments have come to fruition. “They’re taking Duterte for a ride,” says political analyst and author Richard Heydarian.
The above article in CNA on 19 Dec 20 was written by Desmond Ng and Sumithra Prasanna.
20,000 infrastructure projects, according to the writers, are bad for Philippines as it would lead to debt traps. The poor tourist guides, small farmers and street vendors would lose their jobs. They would like to continue their way of life and what Duterte is going to do, to bring in China to develop the Philippines with 20,000 projects is not good for the Philippines people. Duterte must be damn stupid or a traitor to the Pinoys. How could he want to spend to much money, stupidly let his country into a debt trap to destroy the Philippines. So the white men are saying and some silly writers also agreed.
And China is making it tough in the negotiation, wanting to make sure that the projects are commerciall viable and would not lead into debt traps? And this is bad of China. China should blindly just build and let Philippines ended in debt traps so that the white men can accuse China of wrongdoings. So clever.
China should not waste its time, resources and money to rebuild the Philippines. The Pinoys are happy where they are. Duterte also should not try to be smart to want to develop the Philippines into a modern state. The Pinoys don't like that.
Also, from the point of China, Duterte would not be the President for long and the next president would want to be pro America and enemy of China. How is China going to pump in millions and billions of dollars into the Philippines when it knows that any day the Pinoy govt would change and become hostile to China, cancelling all the projects and not paying?
What would you do if you were in the shoes of China? Pour in money that is not welcomed? And the ordinary Pinoys would not appreciate and did not want them? They are waiting for the American saviours to save the Philippines and sell them more weapons to be the strongest military power in Asean and to start a war with China.
Now who are the silly ones? Duterte? Not to worry, the Americans have been in the Philippines before, ruling the Philippines for several decades and they know what the Pinoys want and would make the Pinoys very happy. And when Duterte is gone, the Pinoys can go dancing with the Americans again and enjoy lives servicing the American troops as tourist guides and bar boys and waitresses and street vendors, and no 20,000 projects that they did not want, that are bad for them.
Maybe the Americans can take over these projects and build them for free for the Pinoys and no debt traps. Even if they were to get American loans, they would definitely be cheaper than Chinese loans. Good luck to the Pinoys.
Duterte threatens to end US military pact if no vaccines
ReplyDeletePresident Rodrigo Duterte has threatened the U.S. that the Philippines will end a key military pact, the Visiting Forces Agreement, if millions of vaccines against COVID-19 are not delivered.
"If they fail to deliver a minimum of 20 million vaccines, they better get out -- no vaccine, no stay here," the president said on Saturday during a televised meeting with members of his cabinet and the national COVID-19 task force.
In November, Duterte agreed to extend by six months a 1998 agreement on the entry of U.S. troops that is critical to Manila's mutual defense treaty with Washington. The president had unilaterally abrogated the agreement earlier in the year.
Duterte's threat comes with his administration taking fire for failing to seal a vaccine deal with Pfizer, while Southeast Asian neighbors such as Singapore and Indonesia progress towards deliveries.
Earlier this month, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Manila had secured 10 million doses of Pfizer vaccine with the help of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The vaccine would have been ready for shipment in January 2021 but the deal fell through after Health Secretary Francisco Duque supposedly "dropped the ball."
However, Duque denied the allegation and said there had never been a firm commitment from the U.S. pharmaceutical giant.
On Saturday, Duterte lent support to Duque and lashed out at the U.S. "Do not believe in that shit about America that they can deliver immediately," he said. "I've been with government -- I have dealt with them many times."
In July, with Filipinos reeling from one of the world's longest lockdowns, Duterte called for patience and expressed the hope that the country would be "back to normal" by December with vaccines becoming available.
The Philippine president previously favored vaccines from China and Russia, slamming "Western counties" for being "all profit, profit, profit."
So far, the Philippines has secured only 2.6 million doses from the U.K.'s AstraZeneca, and those are due to start delivery by May when inoculations are also expected to start. The vaccines were ordered by leading Philippine companies that have promised to donate half the doses to the government.
Imported by private companies to make profits?
DeleteWhen you have not enough capitals for your start up businesses and begged loans from banks they really demanded all sorts of collaterals and guarantors.
ReplyDeleteYou be most happy when they approved your loans.
If Philippines were to be developed and able to compete with her enterprises and infrastructures, their people would not have to be tourist guides and hawkers and prostitutes to serve the rest of the world.
It is the most degrading reputation for a country in having her own people as pimps and prostitutes to serve others for their industries.
Especially been exploited by the Whites, the pedophiles and the undesirables.
These animals took advantage of others plight.
Not forgetting our own Sinkies who frequent Thailand.
Duterte knows the value of Philippines to the Americans as a base against China and the US must pay for the privilege. If the US is not willing to pay, out they go. Unlike some silly Asean countries, unable to think, unable to appreciate how important and useful they are to the Americans and allowed the Americans to twist their arms to do their biddings.
ReplyDeleteAs for the American vaccines, Trump has signed a decree, American first. Ppines may get some Pfizer vaccines but not the Moderna. Chinese vaccines are on the way, after the countries that participated in the trials.
The Chinese have worked out certain rules for allocations of the vaccines, not China first, but for the rest of the world, priority to mekong countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia,... after the trial countries, the rest will follow.
The Philippines is exactly in the same situation as India. India refused to join the BRI or the RCEP, for fear that these two groupings will put it's small enterprises out of business. India wants it's cake and eat it as well. This hindrance will be a big loss for India as it is going to lose out big by being sidelined from the world's largest trade pact. But never mind, that is India's choice and it's problem to bear.
ReplyDeleteWhy would China bother to do infrastructure developments in the Philippines, knowing that the people there have long harbour serious bias against China and Chinese businesses. They have long been under the yoke of submission by the Spanish and later the USA, and Pinoys find it hard to break free from their siege mentality.
Incidentally, both are also staunch allies of the USA and sees China as a threat, thanks to the mantra of a debt trap invented by the USA. Duterte may at times lean towards China, but most hardcore USA pundits in his Government still worship the USA.
China also started it's rise with the influx of big businesses from all over the world and their people took up the challenge to compete against all and sundry. They succeeded and the rest is history. One factor, though, that contributed to China's success was the ability of the Government to make decisions decisively and not be hijacked by small business interest.
Kishore has pointed out clearly to the Indians. India is what China was in the late 70s. India's strength and weaknesses are very similar to China's. Deng Xiaoping saw the success of the Chinese diaspora against the backdrop of a poor China and took the bold move to open up China. And the rest is history.
ReplyDeleteIndia could see the same trends but did not have the confidence to bite the bullet to compete with the rest of the world by opening up. Despite Indian's arrogance and air of confidence, they are really afraid that should they open up, they would lose out to the rest of the world, especially to Chinese exports.
Indians lack confidence to open up. If they continue this way, closing their economy, protecting their inefficient industries, they would never catch up with China.
Kishore told them to look at how successful the Indian diaspora is, that the Indians are the most competitive people in the world. The world should be afraid of Indians, not Indians afraid of the world.
Would the Indians listen and stand up to face the challenge?
Indians should not be afraid of China ahead of them. In fact, India should gang up with China like brothers and sisters. Then the whole world would be afraid.
ReplyDeleteJust imagine the two largest populations in the world join force as one!!! There will be immense opportunities and immense growth economically, socially, culturally, politically, financially, militarily, scientifically, technologically, and strategically - in all fields of human endeavours.
Cantonese say, Mo Tuk Teng.
Problem is can u trust them as they are known to be like a snake?
DeleteIndia harbours big power ambitions, but fail to realise it's limitations. India thinks that by snuggling closer to the USA it will raise their stature and garner respect from neighbouring countries like Pakistan and China. It is a wrong perception and a counter productive idea! In fact India should not see Pakistan and China as adversaries, but as compensating economic partners.
ReplyDeleteThere is a Chinese saying that it is 'better a close neighbour than a distant relative'.
India and China both have few thousand years of history with strong heritage roots and beliefs. That is why Christianity failed to turn China and India into Christian nations, only minor success and in parts. Same with Christianity's inability to change the religious landscape of countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam despite strong assaults.
Of course, for Middles Eastern countries, the battle for religious supremacy is deep in historical roots. They are still staunchly Islamic States, also with deep heritage roots and beliefs that defy conversion.
Why Vietnam?
ReplyDeleteChina does not want to politicise or weaponise their vaccines. They treat the pandemic as a world problem and must be solved by a cooperative world. China's vaccines are for the world, especially the developing countries that did not have the money to be extorted by the West.
Another reason, if the neighbours of China are still having Covid problems, it would affect China as well. It is better to have every country around China to be free from Covid19.
China places a lot of importance to the well being of its neighbours. No wars but trade to benefit both sides.
While Vietnam may be anti China, China treat this as a separate issue, can still trade and co operate in areas of mutual interest. No need to make Vietnam an enemy forever.
Rb. I agreed esp those vietnamese girls, they are very beautiful and most have reasonable b to c cups and for Asian considered large liao. Many 9f my fiends have vietnamese wives or girl friends. They said very shook.
DeleteWould our leaders volunteer to take the vaccine jabs to show the people it is safe?
ReplyDeleteAll your leaders are now multi millionairs or billionaires. Do you think that you can psycho them to risk their lives just to humour you?
ReplyDeleteI will be posting a complete article from focus Malaysia on Covid19 vaccine tomorrow with information that everyone would like to know to have a better idea of what this new technology mRNA is all about, how it works and what could be seen as dangerous about this vaccine, the unknown possibilities of RNA/DNA interactions.
ReplyDeleteIndia' population of 1.353 billion is almost the same as that of China (1.393 billion). But China's land area (9.597 million sq km) is 3 times that of India (3.287 million sq km).
ReplyDeleteUSA land area of 9.834 million sq km is almost the same as that of China 9.597 million sq km). But China's population of 1.393 billion is more than 4 times that of USA (328 million).
2.10pm anon what is the relevance of your posting in respect of the main article? Nothing right except waste people time reading it. Knn
ReplyDeleteI think China is not too upset that India is not in BRI or RCEP. If India does join, it will make spurious demands on the groupings but makes little concessions of their own. That is the reality and is a tactic borrowed from Trump's America first doctrine.
ReplyDeleteBy all means avoid dealing with the Indians. Not only the Whites speak with fork tongues.
In a way yes. Without India, it would be easier for the rest of the countries in RCEP to work together.
ReplyDeleteIndia has a whole set of issues that would make reaching a consensus a real headache.
Not joining BRI and RCEP in a way has kept India out of Asia and Southeast Asia. It is self isolation, unplugging India from the regional network and economies. Not very good for India's economic and political developments.
ReplyDeleteIndia is like becoming Siberia, out in the cold.
China was unified by Chin Shi Wang, emperor of chin dynasty in about BC 221. Over 2 thousands years of common language and systems. India was unified by the British in 1858, about less than 200 years of common language and system. India became a real country when Gandi won independence from Britain,the colonial master for india in 1947. India may need many years of playing catch-up with China. Hopefully, India succeed finally.
ReplyDeleteVirgo no need in genting. U go Changi airport or raffles place Mumbai financial center or Changi Mumbai IT centre, or if u meet them in shopping malls or restaurants etc u can only see their nose
DeleteHi Virgo49, please do not be a racist. Indians coming to Singapore is for the good of Singapore. They come here to educate the true blues who are apparently very ignorant. Ask your PM, he will confirm this. They also come to Singapore to create jobs for Singaporeans. Please try and be kind to your saviours.
ReplyDeleteYes, be kind to the snakes. One day, the snakes will bite you.
ReplyDeleteAnd while you are dying, you asked,
"Why do you bite me? I have been so kind to you. I took you in when you have no one to help you and nowhere else to go. I took care of you like my own kind..."
All the snakes answer you in unison, "IT IS OUR NATURE!"
"WE CAN'T HELP IT! Good bye, " they added, while giggling with their usual evil looking-eyes straight into your eyes.
"Bye bye, my kind hearted master, you deserve nothing better than this. Hisssssssszzzzzz...." rubbing salt into your wound.
You died in agony, pain and regret. "Oh, my God! I should have known better. I should have listened to my elders' advice, from people like Virgo..... Ah.......
Bragging again Virgo?
ReplyDeleteFTs from the Indian sub-continent are saviours of all Singaporeans. Too bad, your govt. will always import us to help you. HaHaHa
HAHAHA, I am here now and stealing your lunches. HAHAHAS
ReplyDeleteThank you for telling and reminding the daft of their misfortunes.
ReplyDelete