DTI head bats for Shanghai-Makati business council

Trade and Industry Secretary Cesar V. Purisima is urging Filipino and mainland Chinese businessmen to create a Shanghai-Makati business council to facilitate the exchange of business information and contact between the two cities.

Purisima proposed a sister city arrangement between Shanghai and Makati to accelerate and strengthen business relationships between the two cities.

The possibility of a sister city arrangement was discussed by Purisima with officials of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai who recently paid a courtesy call on the DTI.

According to Purisima, "many small Filipino businesses find it hard to locate counterparts in Shanghai."

"A sister city arrangement will make it easier for them to look for Chinese partners," Purisima said, since the system will facilitate the exchange of information."

Purisima suggested further that the proposed Makati-Shanghai Business Council invite Washington Sycip to be their godfather since Sycip grew up in Shanghai and still maintains strong ties there.

Among the industry sectors that the Philippines wants to promote to China are automotive and motor vehicle parts, engineered products, electronic manufacturing services, agriculture, information technology (IT) and IT enabled services, and consultancies for engineering/architectural design, construction management services and environmental projects.