Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Friday said he would recommend the termination of government contracts with Chinese companies involved in China’s artificial island building on maritime features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Locsin made the remarks days after the US Department of State and Department of Commerce announced that Washington would impose sanctions against 24 Chinese companies involved in the construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea and turning them into military outposts. In an interview with CNN Philippines, Locsin was asked if the Philippine government would impose similar sanctions on these Chinese companies.

Aning, J., Camus, M. R., Ramos, M., & Aurelio, J. M. (2020, August 29). DFA chief: Nix deals with China companies tied to WPS buildup. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A1, A2, A4.