Regarding the remarks made by Philippine President Marcos Jr. in India, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged the Philippines not to play with fire on the Taiwan issue.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated during a press briefing on the Philippine leader's comments on Taiwan that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair and the core of China's core interests. The Chinese side urged the Philippines to truly abide by the One-China Principle and the spirit of the Sino-Philippine establishment of diplomatic relations, and not to play with fire on issues concerning China's core interests.
The reporter asked: According to reports, during his visit to India, the Philippine leader said in an interview that if there is a confrontation between China and the United States on the Taiwan issue, the Philippines would be unable to stay out of it, which is entirely determined by the Philippines' geographical location. If a full-scale war breaks out, the Philippines will inevitably be involved. We will have to defend our territory and sovereignty. In addition, there are many Filipino citizens in Taiwan, and this will immediately become a humanitarian issue, and we will have to intervene, trying to bring the Filipino citizens back to the country. This is the issue we are most concerned about. We will mobilize all resources to evacuate Filipinos in Taiwan. It is not a small matter. What is China's comment on this?
The spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated, "There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Taiwan issue is China's internal affair, the core of China's core interests. How to resolve the Taiwan issue is the matter of the Chinese people themselves, and no one else has the right to interfere."
Philippine President Marcos Jr., who is on a state visit to India, said in an interview with local media that if a conflict occurs, the Philippines will "be unable to stay out of it," and pointed out that especially, the Philippines will be "drawn into it" to evacuate its citizens in Taiwan.
When asked by the host of India's First Post, "Another hot spot in the surrounding area is Taiwan. If a conflict occurs while you are still in power, would you allow the US to use the Philippines' resources and bases, or prefer to stay out of it?"
Marcos replied, "Practically speaking, if a conflict occurs, the Philippines will be unable to stay out of it, simply because of our geographical location. To understand how close Taiwan is to the Philippines, it takes just 40 minutes to fly from Laoag, the capital of my hometown province in northern Philippines, to Kaohsiung, a major city in Taiwan. That's how close it is."
Marcos added, "So if you think carefully, if a full-scale war breaks out, then we will be drawn into it. I assure you, although very reluctant, I say again, we must defend our territory and sovereignty."
Marcos said, "In addition, there are many Filipino nationals in Taiwan, which will immediately become a humanitarian issue, because we have to intervene, because we have to go there, or find a way to get there, find our people and bring them back home. Just like we did every time they were in conflict zones. For me, at least initially, this is the issue we care about the most."
Marcos said, "So I said we will immediately mobilize all forces to bring our people out. Considering being in the center of a war zone, this is no easy task. So, this is absolutely not a small issue."
The spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized that the Philippine government had made a solemn commitment to China, "adhering to the One-China policy, recognizing that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, and understanding the efforts made by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification." The Philippine leaders had also clearly stated to China, "The Philippines firmly adheres to the One-China policy, and the Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair, which must be resolved by the Chinese people themselves." These words are still fresh, written in black and white, but the Philippines is now going back on its word, ignoring the consequences, continuing to take erroneous and provocative actions, continuously diluting and undermining the One-China principle, and continuously damaging Sino-Philippine relations. The Chinese side strongly opposes this. The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines have already raised serious representations with the Philippines on this matter.
The spokesperson pointed out, "It needs to be further emphasized that 'geographical proximity' and 'a large number of overseas Chinese' are not excuses for a country to interfere in another country's internal affairs and meddle in another country's sovereignty. Such rhetoric not only violates international law and the ASEAN Charter, but also undermines regional peace and stability and the fundamental interests of the people of the country itself. We urge the Philippines to truly abide by the One-China Principle and the spirit of the Sino-Philippine establishment of diplomatic relations, and not to play with fire on issues concerning China's core interests."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1839856952601600/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.