The Department of National Defense (DND) on Saturday objected to Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian’s declare that the Philippines was “stoking” geopolitical tensions by providing the United States entry to its army bases close to Taiwan.
“The Department of National Defense takes exception to the statement of Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian that the Philippines is meddling in the internal affairs of China concerning Taiwan,” the company’s spokesperson, Arsenio Andolong, mentioned in an announcement.
In a separate assertion, National Security Council spokesperson Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya clarified that “the Philippines has no intention of interfering in the Taiwan issue and will not allow itself to be used by other countries to interfere in the said issue.”
“[W]e take grave exception to any effort by guests in our country to use this to fearmonger and intimidate us,” he mentioned.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory, which it goals to reclaim by power if needed.
On Friday, Huang “advised” the Philippines to oppose Taiwan independence as a substitute of providing the US entry to its army amenities close to the Taiwan Strait if Manila “genuinely” cared in regards to the 150,000 abroad Filipino employees (OFWs) in Taiwan.
Andolong mentioned that the Philippines’ primordial concern in Taiwan is the protection and well-being of Filipinos dwelling and dealing on the island.
“The Philippines observes the One China Policy and maintains the ASEAN principle of non-interference in approaching regional issues. We reiterate that our primordial concern in Taiwan is the safety and wellbeing of the Filipinos living and working on the island,” he mentioned.
“Amid the tensions in the Cross Straits, however, the department deems it prudent to prepare for any contingencies to ensure the safety of Filipinos overseas, especially those based in Taiwan,” he added.
The DND additionally rejected Huang’s comparability of the Taiwan scenario to the insurgency drawback in Mindanao.
“We wish to emphasize that the issues are different from each other,” Andolong mentioned.
“The whole context and rich experience of our peace process in Mindanao, which allowed the participation of the international community (Malaysia, the EU, Turkey, Japan, Brunei, Australia, Sweden, Norway, the UK, Germany, UN organizations, JICA, and other international organizations), is aligned with the Philippines’ position of resolving disputes peacefully.”
EDCA websites are Philippine army amenities to which US forces may have entry beneath the 2 international locations’ Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which was signed in 2014.
The two sides have agreed to designate 4 new EDCA websites, three of that are within the northern portion of Luzon.
These are the Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Isabela, the Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan, and the Camilo Osias Naval Base, additionally in Cagayan.
A fourth EDCA web site has been designated on Balabac island in Palawan, close to the disputed South China Sea.
There are already 5 current EDCA areas. These are the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City.
Andolong mentioned the DND seeks to enhance the nation’s protection capabilities, reiterating that the implementation of the EDCA shouldn’t be directed towards any nation.
“The implementation of EDCA is not directed against any country and is in line with our efforts to modernize our alliance and enable collective defense and peace, promote our national interest, protect our national sovereignty, ensure the livelihood and welfare of our fisherfolk and communities, and enhance our capability to respond to emergencies and disasters, as well as provide humanitarian assistance,” he mentioned.
Malaya mentioned that National Security Adviser Eduardo Año personally assured Huang in a gathering earlier this week that the extra EDCA websites “are not meant for offensive operations against China or for interference in the Taiwan issue but instead are meant to protect the territorial integrity of the country.”
“He assured the Chinese Ambassador that the Philippines is for the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue and for the continued stability of the region,” Malaya mentioned.
“By developing our military and base infrastructure,” the Philippines is pursuing its nationwide curiosity and “actually contributing to regional peace and stability,” he added.
“We hope that the People’s Republic of China will see this as the country’s positive contribution towards peace and stability in the region.” —VBL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
