An Appraisal of Philippines-China Security Relations under the Duterte Administration (2016–2020)

The document analyzes the security relationship between the Philippines and China under the Duterte administration (2016–2020). It finds that while President Duterte pursued a cooperative foreign policy to secure economic gains and infrastructure funding via the Belt and Road Initiative, security cooperation remained limited and cautious. China provided military aid during the 2017 Marawi siege and proposed surveillance projects like 'Safe Philippines,' but these efforts faced pushback from the Philippine strategic community due to interoperability issues with US systems and fears of espionage. Ultimately, China is characterized as both an emerging security partner and a primary source of insecurity due to its maritime claims in the South China Sea.

• Under the Duterte administration, the Philippines shifted toward a more cooperative relationship with China to secure economic investments, including approximately US$24 billion in loan and investment commitments to support the "Build! Build! Build!" infrastructure program.
• China provided specific military aid to the Philippines in 2017 to assist in counterterrorism efforts during the Marawi City siege, including thousands of rifles, ammunition, and coastal boats.
• Despite the military aid, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Department of National Defense (DND) transferred Chinese rifles to the Philippine National Police (PNP) because Chinese systems are not interoperable with the Philippines' existing doctrines and equipment, which remain aligned with the US.
• The 'Safe Philippines' project, a surveillance initiative involving the installation of approximately 12,000 CCTVs in Metro Manila and Davao for US$396.8 million, faced criticism and concerns regarding Chinese espionage and the export of authoritarianism.
• Strategic infrastructure projects involving Chinese firms, such as the DITO Telecommunity cell towers in military camps and the proposed Sangley International Airport, triggered alarms within the Philippine strategic community over national security risks.
• The South China Sea maritime dispute remains a primary driver of political distrust, though the two nations maintain limited cooperation through the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism (BCM) and potential joint exploration of oil and gas at Reed Bank.
• Public and strategic perception in the Philippines remains skeptical of China as a security partner, with a strong preference for maintaining the alliance with the United States.

APA

III, J. A., Rolandsen, Ø. H., Baladjay, D. M. N., Carrozza, I., & Nilsen, M. (2021). An Appraisal of Philippines-China Security Relations under the Duterte Administration (2016–2020). Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3b55a4fe-4313-4241-a6fb-d02319fedfc8/Amador III et al - An Appraisal of Philippines-China Security Relations under the Duterte Administration 2016-2020 PRIO Paper 2021.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

III, Julio Amador, Øystein H. Rolandsen, Deryk Matthew N. Baladjay, Ilaria Carrozza, and Marte Nilsen. An Appraisal of Philippines-China Security Relations under the Duterte Administration (2016–2020). Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2021. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3b55a4fe-4313-4241-a6fb-d02319fedfc8/Amador III et al - An Appraisal of Philippines-China Security Relations under the Duterte Administration 2016-2020 PRIO Paper 2021.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=III |first1=Julio Amador |last2=Rolandsen |first2=Øystein H. |last3=Baladjay |first3=Deryk Matthew N. |last4=Carrozza |first4=Ilaria |last5=Nilsen |first5=Marte |title=An Appraisal of Philippines-China Security Relations under the Duterte Administration (2016–2020) |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2021 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3b55a4fe-4313-4241-a6fb-d02319fedfc8/Amador III et al - An Appraisal of Philippines-China Security Relations under the Duterte Administration 2016-2020 PRIO Paper 2021.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{iii2021appraisal, author = {III, Julio Amador and Rolandsen, Øystein H. and Baladjay, Deryk Matthew N. and Carrozza, Ilaria and Nilsen, Marte}, title = {{An Appraisal of Philippines-China Security Relations under the Duterte Administration (2016–2020)}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2021}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/3b55a4fe-4313-4241-a6fb-d02319fedfc8/Amador III et al - An Appraisal of Philippines-China Security Relations under the Duterte Administration 2016-2020 PRIO Paper 2021.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }