China is ready to give the Philippines weapons to help President Rodrigo Duterte wage his controversial war on drugs and to fight terrorism, the Chinese ambassador to Manila said.
Ambassador Zhao Jianhua, in remarks late Monday, confirmed China was ready to supply the Philippines with weapons.
“We’re exploring the possibilities of providing arms, light arms,” Zhao told reporters.
“Arms for fighting against terrorism, (for the) anti-drug campaign.”
Beijing has previously said it supports Duterte’s crime war, which has been slammed by the United Nations and human rights watchdogs over alleged extrajudicial killings.
Beijing and Manila have experienced a rapprochement since Duterte’s election in May, despite their conflicting territorial claims to the South China Sea.
The ambassador said talks were still in the initial stages, adding there was no agreement on price or the specific type of weapons, though they would most likely be rifles.
Geng Shuang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, explained both China and the Philippines are still in the stage of exploration on China possibly providing arms and radars.
“We have not come to the stage of finalizing any deal,” he said.
“We have not come to that stage. Yes, yes preliminary talks has just started. But I cannot say when they will meet again,” Shuang told reporters in an interview at the Shangri-la Hotel in Makati City Monday night.
He said China is exporting light weapons to other countries considered as their allies for their own defense build-up.
“Again, I would like to say that this is the right of the Filipinos to decide to which country they would like to have weapons,” he said when informed that the Philippines is also exploring buying arms from Russia.
Duterte said he would send Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to China to accept the firearms which are to be paid within 25 years.
Shuang said there was still no time frame to finalize the firearms deal, as the Philippine government would still have to be convinced that their firearms can compete with other dealers.
Lorenzana earlier said the Philippine Army and the Marines would still conduct research on the deal.
He is scheduled to meet with Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jinhua and the Chinese Defense attache next Monday (Dec. 19) to discuss China’s willingness to provide firearms to the country.
He said they will look at the type of firearms China is offering the country
“If it’s already available, we will look into it and see if we need it,” he added.
Lorenzana said he is sure Filipino soldiers wouldn’t find it difficult to use firearms from China.
“(Firearms are) mechanical. One doesn’t need to read the guide to operate it. All you have to do is operate it manually. That will not be a problem,” Lorenzana added.
The Chinese ambassador noted bilateral relations were “good” and were “going to be better” still, “because your president paid a very fruitful and historic state visit to China”.
On Sunday, Duterte said China was ready to supply the Philippines with arms under generous terms.
“It is a grant payable in 25 years so it is practically giving,” Duterte said in a speech.
He recently cancelled an order of about 27,000 assault rifles from the US after media reports that human rights concerns over his crime war would affect the delivery of the weapons.
(with a report from Agence France Presse)
