During a recent diplomatic exchange, the Chinese Foreign Ministry and its embassy in the Philippines issued formal protests over remarks made by the Philippine leader on the Taiwan region. Speaking during his visit to India, the Philippine leader warned that the Philippines could not remain neutral in a potential conflict across the Taiwan Strait.
He explained that “if there is a confrontation over Taiwan between China and the United States, there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it, simply because of our physical geographic location. If there is an all-out war, then the Philippines will be joined into it.” The leader also noted that a significant number of Filipinos reside in the Taiwan region and would need to be evacuated in case of hostilities.
In response, the spokesperson reaffirmed that “there is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Taiwan question is China's internal affair and is at the very core of China's core interests. How to settle it is a matter for the Chinese ourselves, which brooks no interference.”
The spokesperson recalled that the Philippines “adheres to the one-China policy, recognizes that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory and understands the efforts to realize national reunification,” citing written commitments from the joint communique on diplomatic relations. He warned that Manila's recent remarks “hollow out the one-China principle” and damage bilateral trust.
The spokesperson issued a stark warning: “The Philippines has kept making wrong and provocative remarks and actions, kept fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, and kept harming China-Philippines relations. China firmly opposes this.”
He added that citing “near geographic location” and “a large amount of Filipinos in the Taiwan region” as pretexts to interfere in another country's sovereign affairs not only contravenes international law and the ASEAN Charter, but also undermines regional peace and the fundamental interests of its own people.
China's Foreign Ministry “urged the Philippines to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the spirit of the China-Philippines joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations, and refrain from playing fire on issues bearing on China's core interests.”
As tensions over cross-strait ties continue to shape regional security dynamics, this diplomatic row underscores how words and geography can quickly raise the diplomatic temperature.
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China slams Philippines over leader's remarks on Taiwan region
cgtn.com
