Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday congratulated the winner of Saturday’s presidential election, Vice President William Lai (賴清德), saying in a statement shared on social media that he was looking “forward to close collaboration” and “strengthening mutual interests.”
“On behalf of the Filipino people, I congratulate President-elect Lai Ching-te on his election as Taiwan’s next president,” Marcos wrote. “We look forward to close collaboration, strengthening mutual interests, fostering peace and ensuring prosperity for our peoples in the years ahead.”
Marcos’ remarks were made as tensions escalate between China and the Philippines over a series of territorial standoffs in the South China Sea.
Photo: AFP
China yesterday said that it had summoned the Philippine ambassador after Marcos said he looked forward to working with Lai.
“The Chinese side is strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposes” Marcos’ remarks, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning (毛寧) told a regular news conference.
The remarks “are a serious violation of the one China principle ... a serious breach of the political commitments made by the Philippines to the Chinese side and a gross interference in China’s internal affairs,” Mao said.
“We are telling the Philippine side not to play with fire on the Taiwan issue ... and to stop immediately its wrongful words and deeds on Taiwan-related issues, and sending wrong signals to separatist forces for Taiwan independence,” she said.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday reaffirmed the nation’s “one China” policy.
The department said the congratulatory message was Marcos’ way of recognizing the Philippines and Taiwan’s “mutual interests,” including the 200,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan.
“The message of President Marcos congratulating the new president was his way of thanking them for hosting our OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] and holding a successful democratic process. Nevertheless, the Philippines reaffirms its one China policy,” a statement said.
South Korea has adjusted its electronic arrival card system to no longer list Taiwan as a part of China, a move that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said would help facilitate exchanges between the two sides. South Korea previously listed “Taiwan” as “Taiwan (China)” in the drop-down menus of its online arrival card system, where people had to fill out where they came from and their next destination. The ministry had requested South Korea make a revision and said it would change South Korea’s name on Taiwan’s online immigration system from “Republic of Korea” to “Korea (South),” should the issue not be
Tainan, Taipei and New Taipei City recorded the highest fines nationwide for illegal accommodations in the first quarter of this year, with fines issued in the three cities each exceeding NT$7 million (US$220,639), Tourism Administration data showed. Among them, Taipei had the highest number of illegal short-term rental units, with 410. There were 3,280 legally registered hotels nationwide in the first quarter, down by 14 properties, or 0.43 percent, from a year earlier, likely indicating operators exiting the market, the agency said. However, the number of unregistered properties rose to 1,174, including 314 illegal hotels and 860 illegal short-term rental
ECONOMIC COERCION: Such actions are often inconsistently applied, sometimes resumed, and sometimes just halted, the Presidential Office spokeswoman said The government backs healthy and orderly cross-strait exchanges, but such arrangements should not be made with political conditions attached and never be used as leverage for political maneuvering or partisan agendas, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said yesterday. Kuo made the remarks after China earlier in the day announced 10 new “incentive measures” for Taiwan, following a landmark meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) in Beijing on Friday. The measures, unveiled by China’s Xinhua news agency, include plans to resume individual travel by residents of Shanghai and China’s Fujian
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) met in Beijing yesterday, where they vowed to bring people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait closer to facilitate the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” The meeting was held in the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People, a venue typically reserved for meetings between Xi and foreign heads of state. In public remarks prior to a closed-door meeting, Xi, in his role as head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said that Taiwan is historically part of China, and remains an “inalienable” and
RSS