Chinese investors interested in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial Investment and Promotions Office (CPIPO) has noted a growing investment interest from China. 

Investment and Promotions officer Jerry Pangatungan said their office has been getting interest from Chinese provinces in discussing potential investment areas. 

In fact last month, delegates from Hainan Province in China represented by their Vice Governor Shen Danyang visited the Cebu Provincial Capitol to discuss potential trade and economic cooperation activities in the fields of tourism, food-processing and manufacture export. 

“On February 22, delegates from Fujian province will also come here,” Pangatungan told The FREEMAN in a phone interview yesterday. 

He said such scheduled visit will involve discussions on economic cooperation between Cebu and Fujian. 

It can be recalled in September last year, Cebu Province signed a sisterhood pact with China’s Fujian Province, seen to boost investments and tourism cooperation.  

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III had signed the agreement with Fujian Gov. Tang Dengjie, who was accompanied by the mayors of the cities of Nan’an, Putian, and Quanzhou.

Nan’an and Putian were also set to establish friendship city ties with the cities of Mandaue and Danao, respectively.  

At that time, a Cebu delegation led by Davide also went to China for the 20th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), where the governor also signed a memorandum of understanding with Fujian for the joint promotion of the building of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road between the two provinces. 

Aside from tourism, Pangatungan also cited the shipping sector as among the key areas of interest. 

In December last year, the Fuzhou Port Group Co. Ltd., a large-scale provincial state-owned enterprise group in Fujian, China, had made a courtesy call with the representatives of Cebu Port Authority to express their willingness to invest in CPA projects.