Taiwan’s top diplomat in the Philippines? DFA says no official 'recognized' in visiting group
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines issued a carefully worded statement on Friday, August 29, saying no Taiwanese official is "recognized" in a visiting business delegation to the country amid speculation that Taiwan's foreign minister is currently in the Philippines.
"Consistent with the Philippines’ One China Policy, no official from Taiwan is recognized as a member of the business delegation that recently visited the Philippines," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The DFA's statement comes two days after Sen. Imee Marcos asked DFA Secretary Theresa Lazaro about reports that Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung was in the country as part of the visiting group. The senator described Lin as a “rather controversial, pro-independence advocate” and warned that his alleged presence in Manila could trigger backlash from Beijing.
Lazaro said the DFA had not been informed of any visit by Lin. She maintained that the DFA was only told of a US-Taiwan Business Council delegation led by its executive vice president Lotta Danielsson.
“We have no direct knowledge if this person is here. My response is, we are not responding to that question of whether there is a foreign minister in the delegation,” Lazaro told senators.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed that a delegation was indeed in the Philippines but declined to say whether Lin was among them. The delegation includes representatives from semiconductors, agriculture, energy, manufacturing and tourism sectors, with stops in Subic Bay, New Clark City and Manila.
In its statement Friday, the DFA stressed that the Philippines’ adherence to the One China Policy was “clear and unwavering,” citing the 1975 Joint Communiqué with Beijing as the basis of its bilateral ties.
"In line with the One China Policy, which the Philippines has consistently upheld, the Government of the Philippines does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state," the DFA said.
However, the Philippines maintains "economic and people-to-people engagements" with Taiwan in trade, investment and tourism "within the bounds" of its One China Policy, the statement said.
The DFA also cited the presence of about 200,000 Filipinos working and living in Taiwan as a key reason for Manila’s interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
“We therefore continue to call for restraint and dialogue,” the DFA said.
“We leave it to the Chinese people to resolve Cross-Straits matters," it added.
Warmer relations with Taiwan. While the Philippines has consistently affirmed its adherence to the One China Policy, it has recently moved to ease restrictions on official travel to Taiwan. In April, Malacañang issued Memorandum Circular No. 82, which allows most government officials — except the president, vice president, and the foreign affairs and defense secretaries — to travel to Taiwan for economic and trade purposes.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also made increasingly direct remarks about Taiwan, saying in earlier statements that the Philippines would be drawn “kicking and screaming” into any conflict across the strait because of its proximity and the presence of thousands of Filipino workers there.
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