Twenty-eight Chinese companies are planning to visit the Philippines to assess whether the country’s economic zones offer a suitable environment for their operations.

According to Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Tereso Panga, most of the firms, based in Hangzhou, are in the manufacturing, energy, and logistics sectors. They expressed interest in exploring investment opportunities in the ecozones following a PEZA-hosted seminar.

Notable companies considering visits include Alibaba, XiuZheng Pharmaceutical Group, Yechao Electric Transmission Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Electric Power Design Institute of China Energy Engineering Group, Zhengtai International Engineering Co., Ltd., Silk Road International Capacity Cooperation Promotion Center, and Hangzhou Taibei Technology Co., Ltd.

The Hangzhou seminar, held from 22–26 November, was part of PEZA’s investment mission to China, co-organized with Filinvest Development Corporation and the Anvil Business Club. The mission aimed to provide companies with information on opportunities within the country’s economic zones.

During a meeting in Shanghai, Oishi China Co., Ltd. Chairman Larry Chan expressed interest in registering coconut processing facilities in General Santos and Quezon province, citing growing demand in China for coconut-based products such as coffee, milk, oil, and cosmetics.

The visit follows recent U.S. tariff exemptions on certain Philippine agricultural exports, including coconut oil, desiccated coconuts, prepared or preserved coconuts, and coconut water.

PEZA currently hosts over 100 Chinese locators, generating more than 16,000 direct jobs. Its ecozones, including PBCom Tower, Northgate Cyberzone, Filinvest Innovation Park, Filinvest Technology Park–Calamba, and Filinvest Cebu Cyberzone, are home to 82 enterprises that have invested over P66 billion and employ approximately 60,000 Filipino workers.