China’s embassy within the Philippines on Sunday mentioned that its ambassador Huang Xilian’s remarks about abroad Filipino employees (OFWs) in Taiwan had been misquoted, misunderstood, or taken out of context.
“It is appreciated that there was extensive coverage on Ambassador Huang Xilian’s speech at the 8th Manila Forum. Unfortunately some misquoted or misinterpreted Ambassador Huang’s remarks or simply took part of the Ambassador’s words out of context,” it mentioned in a press release on its Facebook web page.
At the occasion final Friday, Huang mentioned that the “Taiwan question” is “entirely China’s affair,” however that the United States desires to “interfere” within the state of affairs and make the most of the inclusion of 4 extra army websites within the Philippines within the implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
“The Philippines is advised to unequivocally oppose ‘Taiwan Independence’ rather than stoking the fire by offering the US access to the military bases near the Taiwan Strait if you care genuinely about the 150,000 OFWs,” he mentioned.
To “set the record straight,” the embassy supplied two hyperlinks to a transcript of Huang’s remarks, one in Chinese and the opposite in English.
The English transcript, posted on the embassy web site, mentioned that these had been Huang’s phrases relating to the OFWs in Taiwan:
Some tried to seek out excuse for the brand new EDCA websites by citing the security of the 150,000 OFWs in Taiwan, whereas China is the final nation that needs to see battle over the Strait as a result of folks on each side are Chinese. But we won’t surrender using drive, and we reserve the choice of taking all obligatory measures. This is to protect towards exterior interference and all separatist actions. The Philippines is suggested to unequivocally oppose “Taiwan independence” quite than stoking the hearth by providing the US entry to the army bases close to the Taiwan Strait when you care genuinely concerning the 150,000 OFWs.
Senator Risa Hontiveros has known as for Malacañang to inform Beijing to recall its envoy.
“How dare he threaten us,” she mentioned in a press release on Sunday. “Our OFWs in Taiwan will continue to work where they work. End of story. Filipinos will thrive and make a living according to our wishes. We will never let Beijing decide on the future of Filipino families. Their destiny is not in China’s hands.”
The Department of National Defense additionally “took exception” to Huang’s saying that the Philippines is “stoking the fire” with EDCA, whereas 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 has repeatedly criticized EDCA, saying that Washington was “endangering regional peace and stability” with the growth of the US-Philippines pact to cowl 9 websites across the nation from the unique 5. It additionally mentioned that “many insightful people in the Philippines” fear that the added websites “may draw their country into the whirlpool of a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait.”
China views the democratic, self-ruled island as its personal territory and has vowed to take it again, by drive if obligatory. Last week, after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen met with US Speaker Kevin McCarthy, China launched three days of army workout routines round Taiwan wherein it practiced encircling it and sealing it off. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
