The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines welcomed President Marcos’s statement that the Philippines still adheres to the One-China Policy.
“We appreciate President Marcos reiterating the Philippines’ adherence to the one-China policy, emphasizing Taiwan is a province of China, and the Philippines (is) not endorsing ‘Taiwan independence,’” the embassy said in a statement released Thursday, Jan. 25.
In an interview aired over 24 Oras on GMA last Tuesday, Jan. 23, Marcos said his congratulatory message to Taiwanese president-elect Lai Ching-te was “common courtesy.”
“We are not endorsing Taiwanese independence. Taiwan is a province of China, but the manner in which they will be brought together again is an internal matter,” Marcos said.
The Philippines does not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but maintains a representative office in the island.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that China has put pressure on the Philippines after Marcos extended his congratulations to Lai.
In a statement on Wednesday, Jan. 24, the Taiwanese foreign ministry thanked Marcos and “other international friends for their congratulations on Taiwan’s successful completion of elections.”
“However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has noted that since Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. congratulated Taiwan, China has been strongly pressuring the Philippines and making crude and insulting comments,” it added.