IN a surprising turn of events, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. veered from the neutral, tempered position initially posed by his Foreign Affairs department and publicly congratulated the pro-independence candidate in Taiwan for winning the recently held presidential elections.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry summoned Philippine Ambassador Jaime FlorCruz to protest the President’s greetings to Taiwan’s president-elect Lai Ching-te.
The Taiwan election last Saturday came at a time of growing geopolitical tension between Beijing and Manila over the West Philippine Sea.
“On behalf of the Filipino people, I congratulate President-elect Lai Ching-te on his election as Taiwan’s next President,” Marcos Jr. said on his X post Monday evening.
“We look forward to close collaboration, strengthening mutual interests, fostering peace, and ensuring prosperity for our peoples in the years ahead,” Marcos Jr. added.
This is the first time a Philippine president publicly congratulated a recently elected Taiwanese president.
Marcos Jr.’s father had committed to China in 1975, that the Philippines would only recognize one China as a country.
China has been warning the international community against giving recognition to Taiwan, which it considers a renegade province.
So far, Marcos Jr. is also the only head of state—from a country without formal diplomatic relations—who congratulated Lai. Other countries without diplomatic relations with Taiwan such as the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, France, The Netherlands, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore also sent congratulatory messages but only at the level of their respective foreign ministries.
The Philippines is the closest country next to Taiwan and the cross-strait tension has been one of its most pressing security problems. Unofficially, Manila and Taipei have robust economic and cultural relationships.
On Sunday, the Department of Foreign Affairs merely reinstated Manila’s One-China policy when pressed to comment on Lai’s victory.
But on Tuesday, the DFA tried to play down President Marcos’ message as merely a way to “thank Taiwan” for hosting nearly 200,000 Filipino workers.
“The Philippines and Taiwan share mutual interests which include the welfare of nearly 200,000 OFWs in Taiwan. The message of President Marcos congratulating the new president was his way of thanking them for hosting our OFWs and holding a successful democratic process. Nevertheless, the Philippines reaffirms its One China Policy,” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said in a text message to diplomatic reporters.
Grateful Taiwan
Meanwhile, Lai immediatel replied to Marcos Jr.’s tweet, saying, “Thank you, President @bongbongmarcos for your congratulations. I deeply value the enduring friendship between #Taiwan & the #Philippines. I look forward to enhancing our economic and people-to-people ties while championing democracy, peace & prosperity in the region.”
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry thanked Marcos. “Our gratitude to #Philippines President @bongbongmarcos for congratulating #Taiwan’s President-elect @ChingteLai. We, too, eagerly anticipate fostering an increasingly robust partnership to promote our nations’ shared interests as well as #IndoPacific peace & prosperity,” the ministry said.
Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) Chairman and Resident Representative Silvestre Bello III hopes that with the election of Lai, all the goodwill and cooperation between the Philippines and Taiwan under the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would continue.
China summons PHL envoy
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Assistant Minister Nong Rong summoned Philippine Ambassador Jaime FlorCruz to express China’s “serious” protest for allegedly violating the One-China policy.
“The Chinese side is strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposes this…. This morning, Assistant Minister Nong Rong summoned the ambassador of the Philippines to China to make solemn representations and urge the Philippine side to give the Chinese side a responsible explanation,” China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference.
Mao reiterated China’s stern warning to “anyone in the international community who violates the one-China” will face the “joint opposition of the Chinese people and the international community.”
China, she added, “deplores and strongly opposes relevant countries’ wrong practices violating the one-China principle, including issuing statements and ‘expressing congratulations.’ We’ve lodged serious démarches.”
Image credits: Bloomberg