Manila to expel Chinese power grid technicians over security concerns

The Philippines said yesterday it would end Chinese technical involvement in running the country's power grid, partly due to national security concerns.

All 16 Chinese technicians currently working for the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines would be sent home by July, Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla said.

The State Grid Corporation of China has a 40 per cent stake in the Philippine firm, which operates and maintains the nation's power grid, but Petilla said the government wanted only Filipinos to run it.

Asked if security issues were behind the decision, Petilla said via text message that "it certainly is a concern of NSA", referring to the government's National Security Adviser.

He said the Department of Energy believed Filipinos now had the skills to do the work being done by the Chinese, which complicates their visa status.

"To harmonise those concerns, it was agreed last year that the management and technical operation will be run by an all-Filipino team by July," Petilla said.