Philippines receives 1st tranche of military equipment donation from China

 

Some of the engineering equipment delivered by China to the Philippines. Photo c/o DND.

The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) has confirmed that China has donated 2 batches of military equipment to the Philippine Government, with a total worth of PHP1 billion (US$19.6 million).

The first batch, worth RMB76 million (US$12 million) arrived in the Philippines on 16 January 2022, and includes non-combat equipment that can be used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations including engineering and rescue equipment, water purification vehicles, X-Ray machines, ambulances and firetrucks, bomb disposal suits and EOD robots, and drone systems.

A formal turnover of these equipment is scheduled on February 2022. Another batch of equipment is expected to be delivered at a later date.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana mentioned that these donations were part of a pledge made by Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe during his visit to Manila in 2020.

Secretary Lorenzana also confirmed that these donated equipment would help bolster its capacity to provide assistance during disasters, as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has a shortfall of HADR, engineering, and counterterrorism equipment.

According to Philippine defense website MaxDefense Philippines, this is China’s second major donation of equipment to the Philippines, after delivering US$14.4 million worth of firearms, ammunition, small boats and rocket propelled grenades in 2017.

The Philippines has also purchased military engineering equipment from China, which were acquired through Government-to-Government (G2G) deal between the Chinese and Philippine governments, and were delivered to the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 2019.




[1] Inquirer.net
[2] Shephard Media
[3] MaxDefense Philippines