Growth prospects and financial requirements of Filipino renewable energy companies arising from bilateral agreements with China

Abstract

In recent times, China is drawing significant attention with its interest in the growth of numerous sectors by investing heavily its capital resources on the development of the Southeast Asia countries’ infrastructure projects. Some of the sectors that China has been particularly interested in include transportation, energy, and telecommunications. Dating back to the pre-colonial era, the Philippines have a long history of cultural and economic relations with China. The country has emerged as a significant player in Southeast Asia's economy with an increasing number of companies and a young and growing population. Moreover, due to its strategic location, the country possesses a natural advantage for trade and logistics, making it a crucial hub for transportation and commerce. As such, China sees the Philippines as an important partner in its economic and strategic interests within the region. The paper aims to analyze the growth prospects of Filipino companies following the recent expanding of the bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and the Philippines. As China is the current biggest investor and top trading partner of the country, the Philippines has been favourable to China, facing “a rejuvenation of centuries old friendship”. The objective of this thesis is to assess the potential opportunities and challenges faced by the companies within the renewable energy sector, following a series of Chinese investments. Through this analysis, the paper aims to provide insights into the future outlook for firms operating in this space.