Aid from China 'will be used to fight communists'

The government will use the $1.2 million military aid from China to fight the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army, a senior official said.

"We want to get this aid in the form of equipment," said Defence Secretary Avelino Cruz.

"Our plan is to build freedom roads in 500 conflict areas in several regions where the CPP-NPA has a very strong presence," Cruz said.

"The plan will strengthen the government's campaign against the CPP-NPA," said Cruz.

The military assistance is besides the $1.6 billion pledges in investments that were made by Chinese President Hu Jintao during his recent visit to the Philippines. The amount included loans and investments in mining and infrastructure projects.

Jose Maria Sison was a former English professor at the University of the Philippines in the late '60s, when he believed that the revolution that was undertaken by China's Mao Tse Tung against Sun Yat Sen in China in 1949 was a perfect model for the re-establishment of the CPP, from an old communist group in the Philippines.

Many believe that the announcement of Cruz has another purpose to make the CPP-NPA leaders believe that they no longer have allies in China.

"They could no longer get funding from the Chinese communist party in China," said an expert, adding this situation prevailed earlier, when the Philippine Government established diplomatic ties with China in 1975.

At the time, the CPP-NPA was at its strongest, 10 years after its creation by Sison, and three years after former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos established a Martial Law rule that lured more students to the leftist underground movement.

Before 1975, the NPA had been receiving weapons and money from their allies in China.