Source:  BusinessMirror

Finance Secretary-designate Cesar Purisima is leading a group of Philippine economic managers in Beijing for a series of meetings with Chinese government officials, as well as leaders of China’s business community, to brief them on the Aquino administration’s private-public partnership (PPP) projects, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported on Monday.

The DFA said the Purisima-led delegation’s visit marks the first formal encounter of the Philippine government’s economic team with their counterparts in China and with the Chinese financial and business community since a new Aquino administration formally assumed office on June 30 last year.

It said a key highlight of the visit is a meeting between the Philippine economic managers with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan on April 12 in Beijing.

The Philippine delegation is also set to meet with Chinese Finance Minister Xie Xuren, Chinese Transport Minister Li Shenglin, Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming and People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan.

According to the DFA, also joining acting Secretary Purisima in the delegation are Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson,  Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., Transportation Undersecretary Ruben Reinoso Jr. and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center Assistant Secretary Philamer Torio.

Also part of the delegation is Rep. Hermilando I. Mandanas, chairman of the committee on ways and means of the House of Representatives, who met with Mou Xinsheng, vice chairman of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, on Monday in Beijing.

The DFA said economic managers will be in Beijing from April 11 to 13 and in Shanghai on  April 13 and 14, where the delegation will hold separate country briefings to present investment opportunities in the Philippines, including the PPP program.

It was learned that the Filipino economic managers will also hold meetings with leaders of over two dozen Chinese state-owned enterprises and private companies.