China's move of withdrawing its funding commitment to big-ticket railway projects in the Philippines might push the latter to "seek closer ties with other friends".
Thus, said Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda on Friday night, July 15.
"If China wants to build stronger ties, they are welcome to try, as all other nations are. This withdrawal does not achieve that objective. If anything, it compels the Philippines to seek closer ties with other friends – countries that may not necessarily be China’s friends, too," said Salceda.
The Bicolano doesn't seem to see the funding withdrawal as a setback for the Philippines, given Japan's presence.
"Japan has just provided the trains for the new North-South Commuter Railway Project a few months ago. And our countries are closer than ever. I think Japan will be very happy to take over financing a project that China has vacated," said Salceda, a third-termer in the House of Representatives.
China and the Philippines had a rosy relationship during the previous Duterte administration.
Salceda insisted that the "next step" for the Philippines should be to look elsewhere for project funders.
"The next step is not to try to persuade China to back us up again, but to simply look for other funders. Our development should not be used as diplomatic leverage among supposed friends. If they want to finance our development projects, they are welcome to, at the right terms. But if they don’t want to, we can always find others," he said.
"I will try my line with both Secretary Jaime Bautista and my network as former Green Climate Fund chair and current adviser to the Incheon Metropolitan City in Korea to see which countries would be happy to take China’s place. China was not the only proponent of funding railway projects in the country, after all," Salceda said, noting that South Korea even gave the Philippines more foreign aid and grants than China last year.
"Opening our project portfolio to more public private partnerships will also open us to new funders, such as Singapore, which has been investing heavily in the Philippine private sector," he added.
He further said that t’s time for the United States "to put its money where its mouth is about the strategic importance of the Philippines".