Biden begged Xi Jinping to meet with him, and Biden now wants to re-establish Military Ties with China

The Hill: Haley criticizes Biden as having ‘begged’ for Meeting with China; Voice of America (VOA): Biden to push China to resume Military Ties with US, Official says 

United States (US) President Joe Biden is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow, Wednesday, November 15, 2023 in the US, but the former US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) and current Republican Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley said that Biden practically BEGGED Xi to meet with him. 

She said this after Biden sent no less than FOUR Members from his own Cabinet to go to China just to ask Xi for this important Meeting. So what will the Filipino Doggies of the US say now about this Meeting as for one, it shows that the US is really not serious at all in going to War with China just to support the Philippines against China. 

Filipinos don’t think Philippines headed in the Right Direction despite BBM’s Anti-China, Pro-US Stance

One News: More Think Phl Headed In Wrong Direction – OCTA Poll

The OCTAResearch Group recently released the Results of their latest Surveys made from September 30 to October 4, 2023, and it shows that Optimism among Filipinos about the direction that the Philippines is headed has declined significantly. 

First off, more Filipinos think that the Philippines is NOT headed in the right Direction under the Administration of Bobong Bong Marcos (BBM). Only 62% said that it is, down from 72% in July 2023. In fact, less and less Filipinos are thinking it is, compared to a high of 85% back in October 2022. 

China GIVES another Bridge to Philippines, the Php 3.126 billion Bucana Bridge in Davao

The Davao River Bridge or Bucana Bridge, Image by the DPWH

This comes as a bit of a surprise for me since the current Administration of Bobong Bong Marcos (BBM) is Anti-China and Pro-United States (US), but it is good that China nonetheless has decided to go forward with the construction of the “Davao River Bridge” or the “Bucana Bridge”. 

This happened when the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) recently signed a Contract with the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) for its construction. 

Vietnam expands Land and Facilities on Mascarado/Magsaysay Reef, No Complaints from the Philippines

Radio Free Asia (RFA): Vietnam rapidly builds up South China Sea Reef

Vietnam has now reclaimed four times more Land in the Barque Canada Reef within a Period of less than a Year. The Reef had an Area of only 58 acres at the end of 2022, but this has now increased to 247 acres by November 2023 due to Dredging and Landfill. 

Chinese Observers speculate that Vietnam could build an Airfield at the said Reef, which will then be their second Airfield in the Spratly Islands. Videos have also been shown on Social Media of Large Barges bringing Workers, Sand and other Construction Materials to the Reef recently. 

Positive News about the Rest of South East Asia’s Relations with China, November 11, 2023

A Montage of Positive News of the Relations of other SEA Countries with China

Vietnam's Agricultural Exports to China has already reached Usd 6.2 billion in the first nine Months of 2023 as both Countries vowed to even enhance even more their Military Cooperation and Exchanges. Both Vietnam and China also started allowing Tourist Vehicles to pass thru the Borders of their Countries; A Chinese Carmaker opened it first Electric Vehicle (EV) Factory in Thailand as Thailand asks to speed up the construction of the China-Thailand Railway which will be under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Program in this Edition of the rest of SEA’s Relations with China Series - “Positive News about the Rest of South East Asia’s Relations with China, November 11, 2023”

* October 22, 2023: Vietnam's Agricultural Exports to China has already hit a record Usd 6.2 billion in Terms of Value from January to September of 2023, which consists of Durian (Usd 1.5 billion), Rice (Usd 500 million), Cashew (Usd 434 million) and Coffee (Usd 101 million). Vietnamese Officials credit the rise in Value due to the recent signing of Export Protocols which allowed certain Fruits like Durian and Vegetables to be exported to China thru Official Quotas rather than just Border Trade. These Exports are expected to even increasd in the coming Quarter when consumption is expected to rise even higher. Vietnam is also set to export Coconuts to China soon: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/industries/farm-produce-exports-to-china-soar-to-record-levels-4668012.html

Philippines OUT of the Race to be the next EV Investment Hub in SEA

fDi Intelligence: South-East Asia’s EV Investment Race

The fDi Intelligence Website recently released an Article about how a number of South East Asian (SEA) are now in a Race to get Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) for Factories to manufacture Electric Vehicles (EV) and their Batteries, and the Philippines is NOT among those Countries.

The Website instead cites four Particular SEA Countries (which I will now personally call as the “Big Four”): INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, THAILAND and VIETNAM. These four Countries are trying to outbid each other in providing Incentives to attract EV FDIs, and the Incentives usually comes in the form of Tax Breaks. 

3 Countries try to replace China Funding of Phl Railways; Korean Consortium for Sangley Airport yet to do Groundbreaking

Channel News Asia (CNA): Philippines says Japan, South Korea, India offer to fund Railway Projects

The Department of Transportation (DOTR) Secretary Jaime Bautista announced recently that the Philippine Government COULD try to tap three other Countries (Japan, South Korea and India) to replace China's financing of three Railway Projects worth at total of around Usd 5 billion. 

The three Railway Projects are the Subic-Clark Railway, Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Long Haul Project and the Mindanao Railway.