Last week, China allocated the Philippines US$19.5 million in military equipment as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vow to help the Philippines government with not only anti-narcotics and anti-terrorism efforts, but also disaster relief missions.
China has helped the Philippines modernise its military in recent years by sending high-capacity weaponry and equipment to support ongoing missions despite tensions in the South China Sea.
The first US$11 million shipments of military aid landed in the capital of Manila on January 16, according to the Philippine Department of National Defense, including rescue and relief gear for the country’s military forces.
Drone systems, detectors, explosive ordnance disposal robots, bomb disposal suits, transport vehicles, ambulances, water purification vehicles, fire trucks, and engineering supplies would be delivered to the Southeast…
