Chinese navy to make first Philippines port call in seven years
Visit this weekend comes as Manila tries to lower dependence on United States and expand ties with other regional powers
Chinese navy ships will visit the Philippines for the first time since 2010 this weekend as Manila and Beijing try to ease strategic mistrust and move beyond their territorial disputes.
Three vessels – the guided missile destroyer Changchun, the guided missile frigate Jingzhou, and the supply ship Chaohu – will dock at Davao City in Mindanao from Sunday until Tuesday.
They will visit around 20 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania, and be headed by Rear Admiral Shen Hao, deputy commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s East Sea Fleet.
The port stop comes after Russian navy vessels arrived in Manila last week for joint exercises as part of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s attempts to lower Manila’s dependence on its traditional ally the United States and expand ties with other regional powers.
Ties between China and the Philippines have warmed quickly since Duterte promised to put aside their territorial disputes over the South China Sea and pursue stronger business links.
China has showed particular interest in resource-rich Mindanao, including a US$9 billion, 2,000km Mindanao Railway project.
