China summons PH envoy over Taiwan ‘negative moves’

Metro Manila, Philippines -  China has summoned the Philippine Ambassador to Beijing over what it called Manila’s “recent negative moves” related to Taiwan, including remarks from a top Philippine Navy official that raised the possibility of military cooperation with Taipei.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Liu Jinsong, director-general of its Department of Asian Affairs, met with Ambassador Jaime FlorCruz on Tuesday to lodge “serious representations” and express strong opposition to the Philippines’ actions and statements concerning Taiwan and broader security issues.

The move follows Manila’s decision to ease restrictions on government officials traveling to Taiwan. Under the revised guidelines, all Philippine government officials—except for the president, vice president, foreign secretary, and defense secretary—may now visit Taiwan for economic and trade-related purposes using regular passports, without prior approval from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Beijing views such changes, along with recent public statements from Philippine officials, as violations of the one-China principle—its long-standing policy that considers Taiwan an inalienable part of Chinese territory.

Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, who told TaiwanPlus that the Philippine and Taiwanese navies had “unofficial and informal” engagements and were “one step away” from joint activities and military-to-military cooperation, including potential patrols in the Luzon Strait.

Trinidad later clarified his remarks in a separate statement, saying he was referring broadly to international cooperation and not to joint patrols between the two sides.

Warning to PH officials

Following the interview, the Chinese Embassy in Manila released a strongly worded statement emphasizing its position.

“Taiwan is a province of China and an inalienable part of Chinese territory,” it said. “The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests.”

The embassy warned the Philippines against engaging in any form of official interaction with Taiwan, calling on Manila to “stop sending wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”

It added: “We call on relevant officials of the Philippines to refrain from making provocations on the Taiwan question. Those who play with fire will perish by it.”

China reiterated that adherence to the one-China principle is the “political bedrock of China-Philippines relations” and said it will not tolerate actions that undermine this stance.

Open communication

In a separate statement on Wednesday, April 30, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that it maintains open communication with Beijing through diplomatic channels.

“The Philippines and China maintain open lines of communication through regular diplomatic channels, and our exchanges are sustained and constant,” the DFA said.

“The two sides regularly exchange frank views over various issues, including on Taiwan, through these channels, and will continue to do so,” it added.