In response to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's recent comment on Taiwan in an interview during his visit to India, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China firmly opposes this. The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Embassy in the Philippines have lodged serious protests with the Philippine side.

According to media reports, during his visit to India, the Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr claimed in an interview that "if there is a confrontation over Taiwan between China and the US, 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 (across the Taiwan Straits), then the Philippines will be joined into it. We will have to defend our territory and our sovereignty."

He also claimed that in addition, there are a large volume of Filipinos in Taiwan. (If there is a war across the Taiwan Straits), it would spell a "humanitarian crisis," and the Philippines has to get involved and try to bring their citizens back. This is the issue that the Philippines cares the most. They would "immediately mobilize everything" to bring their people out.

The spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday in a statement that there is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Taiwan question is China's internal affair which 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 noted that the Philippine government has made serious commitments to China that it adheres to the one-China policy, recognizes that Taiwan is an integral part of the Chinese territory and understands the Chinese government's efforts to realize national reunification. The Philippine leader also said clearly to China that "the Philippines is committed to the one-China policy. The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair that must be solved by the Chinese people." These words are written in black and white, but the Philippines is now going back on its words in disregard of the grave consequences. It has kept making wrong and provocative remarks and actions, kept fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, and kept harming the China-Philippines relations.

China firmly opposes this. The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Embassy in the Philippines have lodged serious protests with the Philippine side, said the spokesperson.

It needs to be further stressed that "near geographic location" and "a large amount of Filipinos in Taiwan" should not be used as pretexts to interfere in the internal and sovereign affairs of other countries. These claims not only contravene international law and the ASEAN Charter, but also harm regional peace and stability and the fundamental interests of its own people, said the spokesperson.

We urge the Philippines to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the spirit of China-Philippines Joint Communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations, and refrain from playing fire on issues bearing on China's core interests, said the spokesperson.

(Source: Global Times)