The arrival of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in Manila yesterday has seemingly ignited an underlying tussle between the pro-independence and pro-unification forces in the local Chinese-speaking expatriate community.
The DPP leader was warmly greeted by about 20 Taiwanese expatriates at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Their shouts of tong-suan (凍蒜, meaning “get elected” in Hoklo, also known as Taiwanese) drew curious glances from passersby at the airport.
Taiwanese Representative to the Philippines Donald Lee (李傳通) also welcomed Tsai at the airport.
Photo: CNA
Accompanied by DPP legislators Yu Tien (余天) and Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) former Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission minister Chang Fu-mei (張富美) and DPP spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦), Tsai Iing-wen chatted with the well-wishers and received a courtesy custom clearance before being whisked away without taking any questions from the media.
Some Chinese groups in the Philippines, meanwhile, have run ads in local Chinese-language newspapers in recent days that call Tsai Ing-wen “a Taiwan independence activist” and said they did not welcome her visit.
To ensure security, Taiwanese businesspeople in the Philippines Manila applied for nine police officers to safeguard the DPP chairperson and her delegation during their three-day visit.
Tsai Ing-wen’s visit is mainly to attend the launch of the Philippine chapter of overseas Taiwanese businesspeople who support her presidential bid.
She will also attend the 57th Congress of the Liberal International — a London-based federation of liberal and democratic political parties around the world — in Metro Manila today, during which she will deliver a 10-minute speech on human rights and trade and meet with party leaders from other countries.
She will also attend a fundraising dinner for her campaign as the standard bearer of the party in January’s presidential election.
Organizers of the fundraiser have already collected 6.5 million pesos (US$148,640).
Tsai is expected to return to Taiwan tomorrow afternoon.
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