菲中经贸关系:明天会更好

菲律宾与中国建交30年来,两国间充满活力的经贸关系为推动双边关系的全面发展注入了强大的动力｡菲中经贸往来不断增强的一个有力证明就是,在过去的10年中,菲律宾分别在厦门､上海和广州设立了领事馆｡加上菲律宾驻香港特别行政区总领馆与菲律宾驻华大使馆一起,目前菲律宾在中国的使领馆共有五处,中国是继美国之后拥有菲律宾使领馆数目第二多的国家｡

双边贸易

21世纪的到来以及中国的入世为两国双边贸易的发展带来了新的契机｡据中国海关统计,过去5年中,菲中货物贸易额以43%的年增长率快速增长,并于2004年底达到133亿美元｡目前,中国是菲律宾的第四大贸易伙伴和第五大出口国｡如果能保持这种良好的增长势头,到2010年菲中贸易将有望达到300亿美元｡

菲律宾出口到中国的产品中位于前列的有半导体装置､存储器､自动化数据处理设备的零部件､铜阴极､机电产品以及鲜果｡

中国出口到菲律宾的产品中位于前列的有半导体装置､自动化数据处理设备的零部件､电信电报设备部件以及手机｡

两国正努力改善贸易结构并不断挖掘贸易和服务业的合作潜力｡

菲律宾希望向中国增加以下产品的出口量,包括电子产品(半导体装置以及电子､办公和自动化数据处理设备)､鲜果及其加工品(香蕉､芒果和木瓜)､海产品(鱼类､贝类以及软体动物)､椰油､椰子副产品(例如椰子纤维)､椰子酒､大理石制品和家具;并扩大服务(教育)出口｡

投资

过去5年中,中国对菲律宾的投资不断变化,在2002年达到峰值 ―― 8.9亿比索｡

菲律宾不断增长的经济以及优惠的投资政策使得近年来中国对其投资额不断增长｡2004年菲律宾总统阿罗约对中国进行国事访问期间,两国达成了价值数百万美元的合作项目,其中涉及在菲律宾建造一体化玻璃生产设备､建立生产铁矿石加工设备的合资企业,签订无线高速数据处理的供给合同以及椰子副产品加工的供给合同｡

今年4月26日至28日,主席访菲时,两国贸易部就促进贸易投资合作以及基础设施建设合作签署了理解备忘录｡其一有利于促进菲中两国在某些优先领域如农业､矿产资源以及文莱-印尼-马来西亚-菲律宾东盟东部增长区(BIMP - EAGA)中的贸易与投资合作;其二推动了两国在铁路､电力､能源和建设这些基础设施方面的投资合作｡此外,在此次访问期间,中国企业还在矿产和石油领域投资达近10亿美元｡

菲律宾希望更多的中方投资能够投入到基础设施开发(包括铁路和旅游)､资源开发､农业现代化､能源合作､信息通讯技术和服务以及环境项目这些领域中来｡尤其是以双赢为目标的在矿产领域达成的合作项目更加值得我们期待｡对于那些在菲律宾从事大规模矿产勘探､开发和利用的企业,菲律宾最高法院于2004年底通过宪法确认了其完全外资所有的法律地位｡这无疑为菲中在这最有前景的合作领域打开了方便之门;而在此之前,法律上的障碍是使中国投资者对菲律宾矿产开发望而却步的重要原因｡

今年初,菲律宾贸易工业部与中国商务部､菲律宾矿业协会与中国五矿化工进出口商会分别签署了矿业合作理解备忘录｡随后胡主席访菲期间,中国的金川集团､上海宝钢公司以及菲律宾镍矿公司(Philnico)就开发菲律宾Surigao 省的Nonoc镍矿项目签署了价值达9.5亿美元的协议｡

菲律宾是世界上第五大矿产资源丰富的国家｡它的金矿资源列世界第三位,铜矿列第四位,镍矿列第五位,铬铁矿列第六位｡菲律宾拥有900万公顷富含矿产资源的国土,而其中只有4.6%的土地被批准开发｡因此,菲中两国在矿业领域的合作前景广阔｡

另一方面,中国商务部公布的数据显示,2004年菲律宾签订的在中国进行投资的合同投资额为6.8亿美元,比2003年增长了22.7%;实际投资额为2.3亿美元,增长了6%｡

菲国企业成功抢滩中国

菲在华企业不断扩大,发展良好｡以下企业已经在中国市场上拥有一席之地｡

生力集团于90年代进军中国,是知名产品生力啤酒的生产商｡生力集团有着100多年的酿酒经验,如今在广州､佛山､保定以及香港都设有酿酒厂｡该集团在中国还有两家合资企业,分别是佛山生力包装有限公司和肇庆生力玻璃公司｡

上好佳是生产深受儿童和成人喜爱的休闲食品的另一家菲律宾公司｡凭着过硬的生产质量,如今上好佳在上海､苏州､徐州､郑州､长沙､宁波､哈尔滨以及昆明都有工厂｡位于江西和湖北的两家新厂也正在修建中｡2004年,上好佳高居中国贸易统计局休闲食品市场份额排行榜的榜首,并连续5年被评为“上海知名品牌”之一｡

陈永栽财团在中国大陆投资成立了亚洲啤酒公司､裕景兴业集团､菲律宾航空公司以及新联商业银行,其经营涉及酿酒､房地产､航空和银行领域｡

作为菲律宾最大的企业集团之一,SM集团于2001年底在厦门开立了其在中国的第一家购物中心,并带动了其周边地区的迅速发展｡SM集团计划于今年9月和明年分别在晋江和成都开立第二家和第三家购物中心｡它还计划于2005年建成SM厦门娱乐中心｡

菲律宾最大的银行,菲律宾首都银行和信托公司是第一个落户中国的菲律宾银行｡凭着专业和个性化的服务,通过促进商务交易和提供银行公共业务,首都银行致力于推动两国间双边贸易的发展｡

Thirty years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the People＇s Republic of China, robust economic relations between the two countries are providing a strong boost for the comprehensive development of bilateral relations.

A clear manifestation of the growing economic exchanges between the Philippines and China is the opening by the Philippines of three consulates general in Xiamen, Guangzhou and Shanghai in the past decade. Together with the Philippine Consulate General in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong and the Philippine Embassy in Beijing, the Philippines now has five diplomatic and consular posts in China. This makes China the second country after the U.S. in which the Philippines has the most number of diplomatic and consular posts.

Bilateral trade

The 21st century and China＇s accession to the WTO brought fresh vigor to bilateral trade. Based on Chinese customs statistics, bilateral merchandise trade grew at an annual rate of 43 percent in the past five years reaching US$13.3 billion in 2004. China is now the Philippines＇ fourth largest trading partner and fifth largest export market. Given the positive trends, both sides target a trade volume of US$30 billion by 2010.

Top Philippine exports in 2004 include semi-conductor devices, storage units, parts and accessories of automatic data processing machines, copper cathodes, finished electrical and machinery parts, and fresh fruits.

Major import items from China include semi-conductor devices and components, parts and accessories of automatic data processing, motor spirit, parts and accessories of telephonic or telegraphic apparatus and cellular phones.

Both sides are working hard to improve trade structure and develop potentials in trade and services.

The Philippines would like to sell more of the following products to China: electronics (semi-conductor devices, electronic, office and automatic data processing machines) fresh and processed fruits (bananas, mangoes and papaya), marine products (fish, crustaceans, mollusks, carageenan), coconut oil, coconut by-products (coco geotextile, coco fiber and coco peat), coconut-based alcohol, abaca, marble products, furniture and services (education).

In the past half decade, the amount of China＇s investments in the Philippines varied per year, reaching a peak of PhP892.8 million in 2002.

With the continued growth of the Philippine economy and attractive investment policies, we have seen some progress in investments recently.During the state visit of President Arroyo to China in September 2004, business transactions worth several millions of dollars were sealed.These include transactions on the construction of an integrated glass manufacturing facility in the Philippines, a joint venture on an iron ore processing facility, supply contracts on wireless hi-speed data services, and supply contracts on coconut by-products.

During the state visit of President Hu Jintao to the Philippines on 26-28 April 2005, the trade departments of the two sides signed MOUs on the promotion of trade and investment cooperation, and on infrastructure cooperation.The first will facilitate trade and investment cooperation in priority sectors such as agri-business, mineral resources and the BIMP-EAGA, while the second will promote investments cooperation in infrastructure projects in railways, electric power, energy and construction.In addition, during the visit, around a billion dollars worth of investments in the field of mining and petroleum were committed by Chinese companies.

The Philippines would like to see more investments from the Chinese side in the fields of infrastructure development (including rail and tourism investments), resources development, agricultural modernization, energy cooperation, information and comm-unications technology and services, and environmental projects.

In particular, win-win results await cooperation in mining and mineral ventures.At the end of 2004, the Philippine Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of full foreign ownership of companies involved in the large-scale exploration, development and utilization of minerals in the Philippines. With the legal obstacles for Chinese investors to invest in the Philippine mining sector, the door to a most promising field of economic cooperation is now open for the Philippines and China.

Early this year, MOUs on mining cooperation were signed between the Philippines＇ Department of Trade and Industry and China＇s Ministry of Commerce, and between the Philippine Chamber of Mines and the China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals and Chemicals Importers and Exporters (CCCMC). During the visit of President Hu Jintao to the Philippines, a US$950 million agreement between Philnico and Jinchuan/Shanghai Baosteel Company to redevelop the Philippines＇ Nonoc Nickel Mines was signed.

The Philippines is the fifth most ″mineralized″ country in the world. It ranks third in gold, fourth in copper, fifth in nickel, and sixth in chromite deposits.The Philippines possesses nine million hectares of potential mining land, of which only 4.6 percent is covered by mining permits. Thus, mining promises to be a most rewarding new avenue of cooperation between the two countries.

On the other side of the picture, Chinese Ministry of Commerce figures show that for 2004, total contracted Philippine investments in China amounted to US$680 million, up 22.7 percent from 2003, actual investments amounted to US$230 million, up 6 percent.

Philippine Companies Expand in China

Philippine companies continue to expand in China. The following are some of the companies that have created their own markets in China.

recognized as one of the ″Shanghai Famous Brands″ for five years running.

The Lucio Tan Group of Companies is also a pioneer among Philippine investors in China. Composed of Asia Brewery (China) Investment Co., Eton Properties Ltd., Philippine Airlines, and Allied Commercial Bank in China, the group is in the business of brewery, real estate, air travel, and banking.

The SM Group of Companies, one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines, opened its first shopping center in China in late 2001 in Xiamen City.This development has brought about rapid development in the surrounding areas.SM plans to open its second shopping center in Jinjiang City by September 2005,and in Chengdu by 2006.It also plans to open an SM Xiamen Entertainment Center in 2006.

The Metrobank Bank and Trust Company, the largest bank in the Philippines today, is the first Philippine bank in China. The bank is committed to promote trade between the two countries by facilitating business and providing the banking public with professional and personalized service.