Tuesday, December 7th, 2010 VOA News The Philippines' armed forces chief is traveling to China to conclude a deal providing his country with military equipment for use against domestic security threats, including the communist New People's Army.
A Philippines military spokesman said General Ricardo David will also meet senior military officials in Beijing in what was described as an effort to build “bridges of goodwill.”
In the past, the Philippines' poorly equipped 130,000-man military has relied heavily on contributions of used hardware from the United States. A spokesman said the country expects “very substantial” benefits from the budding relationship with China, but that there were “no political implications” regarding relations with Washington.
China has previously donated bulldozers and other engineering equipment used by the Philippines to build roads and other infrastructure in areas where the PLA operates. The Philippines is also facing an Islamist insurgency in its southern provinces.