Philippines cancels China-backed US$10 billion airport plan

China Communications Construction (CCC) and its Philippine partner MacroAsia told the country’s stock exchange that a US$10 billion airport development plan in Cavite province has been cancelled and would be re-bid at a later date. CCCC’s airport bid had been approved by President Rodrigo Duterte after the company was blacklisted by Washington for its role in reclamation projects in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are locked in territorial disputes. The Sangley Point International Airport project was aimed at alleviating congestion at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The project involves a massive reclamation of Manila Bay and will be able to accommodate over 100 million passengers annually once completed. Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla said the consortium repeatedly failed to comply with requirements of the joint venture contract with the provincial government. “We gave them two extensions, but they failed to comply with three requirements, a lot of them documentary,” Remulla told Nikkei Asia. The provincial government plans to reopen bidding for the project next month, and MacroAsia and CCCC may still participate, the governor said. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]