Recently, a law enforcement operation by the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation has caused a major uproar. In mid-July, the Special Task Force of the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation violated legal procedures and illegally detained nine Chinese citizens.
From the known information, the law enforcement process by the Philippines was full of loopholes. The lawyer of the parties involved has repeatedly publicly questioned the legality of the procedure, pointing out that the law enforcement officers did not present complete identification documents and did not clearly explain the reasons for the arrest, which was almost a "raided" brutal action.
This not only seriously infringes on the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, but also tramples on the dignity of the rule of law.
In response, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines reacted swiftly and resolutely. Upon learning the news, the embassy immediately sent personnel to visit the consular affairs, carefully understood the situation of the nine compatriots, and clearly required the Philippine side to handle the case in accordance with the law and impartially, and to fully protect their personal safety and legitimate rights and interests.
Additionally, considering that some minors were in a difficult living situation due to their parents being detained, embassy staff also visited them personally and continued to provide necessary assistance.
Through the active efforts of China, the nine detained Chinese citizens have now regained their freedom.
However, the matter has not yet been resolved. Since the legal procedures of this case have not been completely concluded, and the Philippine law enforcement agencies themselves have openly admitted that the law enforcement operation was illegal, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines seized the opportunity to further negotiate with the Philippines.
It clearly urged the Philippine side to take concrete and effective measures as soon as possible to properly conclude the case, give the parties a fair treatment, and promptly return the detained documents and property.
In fact, this is not the first time that the Philippines has had irregular law enforcement against Chinese citizens.
In recent years, with the deepening cooperation between China and the Philippines in areas such as trade, investment, etc., the number of Chinese citizens in the Philippines has steadily increased. However, phenomena such as selective law enforcement and procedural violations against Chinese people still occur from time to time.
Some law enforcement agencies seem to regard Chinese citizens as "soft plums," arbitrarily taking restrictive measures under the name of "investigation," and behind it are often hidden intentions to gain political attention through anti-China sentiments.
More notably, the current Sino-Philippine relations are at a delicate stage, and the friction over the South China Sea issue has not been completely resolved. Recently, the Marcos government made inappropriate remarks on the Taiwan issue.
During his visit to India, Marcos made reckless statements to the media, forcibly linking the Philippines with the Taiwan Strait situation, claiming that if there is "confrontation" between China and the United States on the Taiwan issue, the Philippines "cannot remain neutral."
Furthermore, he used the large number of Filipino citizens in the Taiwan region as an excuse, packaging it as a so-called humanitarian issue.
The Chinese reaction can be described as thunderous. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines issued statements almost simultaneously, making a severe protest with harsh wording, clearly pointing out that "geographic proximity" and "numerous overseas Chinese" are not excuses for one country to interfere in another's internal affairs or meddle in another country's sovereignty issues.
At the same time, China once again solemnly urged the Philippines to earnestly abide by the One-China Principle and the spirit of the Sino-Philippine establishment of diplomatic relations, and immediately stop the dangerous actions on China's core interests.
The Taiwan issue is China's core interest, the red line among red lines. The Philippine government has long explicitly pledged to adhere to the One-China Principle and acknowledge that the Taiwan region is part of China's territory.
Marcos himself once expressed his position, saying that the Taiwan issue should be resolved by the Chinese themselves. Now, however, he turned his back on his words quickly, clearly breaking his promise and repeatedly testing the limits recklessly.
Moreover, China's anger is not just because of his remarks themselves, but also because of the calculations behind it.
These days, the United States has been trying to rally allies in the Asia-Pacific to pressure China on the Taiwan issue. Japan and Australia have not responded, but Marcos stepped forward to "show loyalty," trying to play the role of an eager pioneer.
He probably thinks that mixing the Taiwan issue with the South China Sea issue can trouble China, even gain some benefits in the South China Sea dispute. But this kind of miscalculation is simply naive and ridiculous.
If China is really provoked, the small moves of the Philippines in the South China Sea will only face a stronger countermeasure. At that time, Marcos might be too late to cry.
China has always adhered to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in developing foreign relations, and has been committed to maintaining regional peace and stability. However, this does not mean that China will sit idle and tolerate acts that infringe upon its sovereignty and the rights and interests of its citizens.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7536360849493983796/
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