MANILA: Protesters descended on the Chinese embassy in Manila on Tuesday to oppose the Asian superpower's growing sway in the Philippines and as tensions rise over Beijing's presence in the disputed South China Sea Filipino flag-waving marchers chanted "China out" and brandished a banner saying "Defend our sovereign rights", referring to Beijing's expansive claims to the resource-rich waterway. "The government headed by President (Rodrigo) Duterte is not responding. The marchers dispersed peacefully after the demonstration.Protesters also voiced simmering unease over the terms Chinese loans for infrastructure in the Philippines, including a massive dam-building project.China is poised to loan some $210 million toward the construction of the Kaliwa Dam, a project that has been delayed for years and would fill gaps in the Philippines' chronic need for infrastructure. "We cannot allow... China to control Filipinos and the Philippines' sovereignty," Wilma Quierrez, 53, member of indigenous rights group told AFP. "The loan agreement signed by (Chinese President) Xi Jinping and President Duterte will send us into debt trap," she added.

Source: Economic Times April 09, 2019 07:41 UTC