The Philippines and China are set to strengthen ties on digital initiatives involving artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G, among others, after the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) during President Marcos’ state visit in Beijing.
In a statement on Friday, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) shared that Secretary Ivan John Uy had signed an MOU on digital cooperation with Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) Minister Jin Zhuanglong on Jan. 4.
“The signing of [the MOU] between DICT and China’s MIIT is foremost an affirmation of our respective nation’s desire to continue to deepen our existing bilateral relations and to promote useful exchanges in the areas of digital and ICT cooperation,” Uy said.
“This will strengthen digital cooperation between our countries, such as in the areas of emerging technologies, telecommunication, digital governance and radio spectrum management, among others,” he said.
Knowledge sharing
Under the MOU, the countries will exchange knowledge, technical expertise and best practices on AI, 5G, cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things and other emerging technologies.
The cooperation also covers support to boost the telecommunication industry, which has been seeing continuous growth amid increasing digital adoption.Manila and Beijing also agreed to share knowledge and best practices in digital government strategy and digital government services.
A potential partnership for data center projects can also be explored by the signatories.
A data center is a facility that stores critical applications and data, according to tech giant Cisco. There has been rising demand for such facilities with the accelerated digitalization brought about by the pandemic.
“This MOU between the Philippines and China will also pave the way for further agreements for the execution of projects or activities on ICT, and will support our country’s efforts to improve and accelerate digitalization in line with the priorities of President Marcos,” Uy said.
Cybersecurity concerns
Infrawatch PH convener Terry Ridon, in a message to the Inquirer, advised the government to “hold Beijing and Chinese investors to their investment pledges within a definitive timeline.”
“More importantly, government should ensure that the nation’s cybersecurity will not be compromised under an enhanced digital cooperation regime, as security concerns continue relating to China-based digital apps such as TikTok, in which the app has recently been used to spy on journalists,” he warned.
The Department of Finance had reported the Philippines obtained $201.8 million in fresh loans from China to fund key infrastructure projects such as bridges and flood control systems.
The Philippines was also promised cooperation in terms of the establishment of a communication mechanism on maritime issues, electronic commerce, joint plan action on agricultural and fisheries and tourism, among others.