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Chinese Ambassador says canceled Sangley contract only for feasibility study

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/sports/02/15/20160415-proposed-sangley-point-international-airport.jpg"/><figcaption>An artist&#x27;s rendering of the proposed Sangley Point International Airport. Handout</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - The Sangley Airport contract that was canceled last week was only for the feasibility study on the project, China’s Ambassador to the Philippines said on Thursday. </p><p>Last week, the local government of Cavite said it had <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/27/21/cavite-cancels-award-for-china-communications-10-b-sangley-airport-project">canceled </a>its award of a $10 billion Sangley Airport deal to a consortium made up of Chinese state-backed company and a firm owned by tycoon Lucio Tan. </p><p>Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla said the contract was canceled because the consortium&#x27;s documentation was &quot;deficient in three or four items&quot;.</p><p>But Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said Thursday that only the contract for the feasibility study was canceled, and “not the so-called $10 billion project.” </p><p>“According to the agreement of both sides, the winning bidder-a joint venture of the Chinese company and its Philippine partners would invest $20 million on their own within a certain period of time and they would conduct the feasibility study of the construction of Sangley Point Airport for the Cavite Provincial government,” Huang said. </p><p>“Due to the impact of the Covid-19, the feasibility study has not been launched yet and is canceled at this stage,” he added. </p><p>The Chinese official added that the feasibility study was “a pure commercial project and not related to the Central Government of the Philippines or the Chinese Government.” </p><p>Huang said the project was “not relevant to the Belt and Road Initiative” and some people “politicized this issue.” </p><p>China Communications Construction Co (CCCC) and MacroAsia in 2019 won the auction to partner with the Cavite provincial government to upgrade the Sangley airport.</p><p>CCCC was among the Chinese firms blacklisted by the United States in August for their roles in constructing and militarizing artificial South China Sea islands. </p><p>Lawmakers and security analysts warned that the airport was a &quot;national security issue&quot; and warned that a Chinese firm linked to the militarization of the West Philippine Sea would build a facility that may displace a Philippine Navy station guarding Manila Bay.</p><p>In September however, Duterte gave the <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/09/01/20/duterte-greenlights-sangley-airport-project">go signal </a>for the airport project even after the US blacklisted CCCC.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RmHpv7To_mQ?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>The Sangley Airport contract that was canceled last week was only for the feasibility study on the project, China’s Ambassador to the Philippines said on Thursday. <br /> </p>

The Sangley Airport contract that was canceled last week was only for the feasibility study on the project, China’s Ambassador to the Philippines said on Thursday.