PH ambassador courts Chinese EV makers

The photo taken on September 11, 2023 shows BYD electric cars waiting to be loaded on a ship stacked at the international container terminal of Taicang Port at Suzhou Port, in China's eastern Jiangsu Province. —AFP FILE PHOTO

The Philippines is positioning itself as a potential manufacturing base for Beijing’s fast-growing electric vehicle (EV) industry.

In a statement released on Wednesday by the Philippine embassy in China, Ambassador Jaime FlorCruz urged Chinese firms to invest and partner in the country as they expand overseas.

FlorCruz made the pitch during the China International New Energy Vehicle Technology, Parts, and Services Exhibition 2026, one of China’s largest EV industry gatherings, held recently at the New China International Exhibition Center in Beijing.

He cited the Philippines’ growing vehicle market and said the country could play a role in regional EV supply chains, particularly in vehicle assembly, battery technologies and component manufacturing.

He added that government policies, such as tax incentives, duty-free importation and streamlined investment rules, aim to attract investors and support partnerships between foreign firms and local companies.