The Belt and Road Initiative and Philippine Participation in the Maritime Silk Road

Abstract

Philippines-China relations have gone through dramatic changes in recent months. Following the Duterte Administration’s pronouncements signaling a change in the approach towards China, an impact on the bilateral relations was immediately felt –13 bilateral cooperation agreements were signed and USD 24 billion worth of Chinese funding and investment was pledged. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhien Min affirmed and welcomed the Philippines’ participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in a recent statement. Correspondingly, the Philippines took action to become a full member of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) – a move indicative of Philippine interest in China’s massive infrastructure project. While the Duterte administration has yet to outlay its plans on how to approach BRI, its actions point towards Philippine participation in the project. News from Beijing confirms that President Duterte will be attending the BRI Summit in May. However, the country’s participation in the BRI must have a practical consideration – implementing BRI’s future infrastructure investment plans must be consistent with the Philippines’ infrastructure and other development plans. Specifically, what scenarios at the domestic level should the Philippines anticipate in order to implement the plans effectively and harness the benefits of BRI?