Philippine Senator Wants China Envoy Recalled Over ‘Threat’ to Oppose Taiwan

Filipino soldiers stand at attention near a Philippine flag at Thitu island in disputed South China Sea on April 21, 2017. (Erik De Castro/Reuters)

A Philippine senator has called for Beijing to recall its representative in Manila “as soon as possible” following his “threat” to the Philippines to oppose Taiwan’s independence.

“How dare he threaten us,” Senator Risa Hontiveros said in a statement on April 16. “He, along with his country’s ships and artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea, should pack up and leave.”

Hontiveros referred to Chinese envoy Huang Xilian, who criticized the Philippines for granting the United States greater access to its military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Huang said the Philippines would “unequivocally oppose” Taiwan’s independence—instead of inflaming the situation by giving the U.S. access to bases—if it “genuinely cared” about the 150,000 Filipinos living in Taiwan.

“We will not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. This is to guard against external interference and all separatist activities,” he said at a forum in Manila on April 16.

Huang compared the issue of Taiwan’s independence to rebel issues in Mindanao, Philippines, where government and insurgency conflicts had been raging for decades. He said Manila “will never allow any third party to meddle with resolving rebel issues in Mindanao.”

Hontiveros said the Philippines respects the right of Taiwanese people to self-determination but would not meddle in the matter of the island’s independence.

She said the Philippines would not allow Beijing to dictate the fate of Filipinos living in Taiwan and urged the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) not to embroil the Philippines in its “fight” with the United States.

“It is China who has been stoking tensions in the region, claiming territories that aren’t theirs,” the senator said.

“It is China who continues to bully, harass, and intimidate other smaller nations in the region.”

Philippines Refutes Taiwan-Mindanao Comparison

The Philippine Department of National Defense reaffirmed its position of non-interference in the tensions between China and Taiwan, saying that its primordial concern was the safety of Filipinos living in Taiwan.

“Amid 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,” it said in a statement.

The department clarified that the issues of Taiwan’s independence and Mindanao’s rebel insurgency differ because the peace process in Mindanao allowed for the international community’s participation.

It reiterated that the Philippines’ decision to grant the United States greater access to military bases was aimed at bolstering its defense capabilities and was not directed against any country.

U.S. Marines take part in a joint amphibious assault exercise off the waters of the South China Sea in Claveria, Cagayan province, Philippines, on March 31, 2022. (Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)

The Philippines earlier granted American forces access to four new military bases, including a naval base, an airport in Cagayan province, and an army camp in Isabela—all located near Taiwan.

The CCP had warned that expanded EDCA sites would “seriously endanger regional peace and stability” and “drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development.”

China-Taiwan Tensions Could Affect ‘Entire Region’

Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo earlier said his country would bear the brunt of any escalation of tensions in Taiwan, given its proximity with the island, which sits only 90 miles from the northernmost point of the Philippines.

“Taiwan is literally next door to the Philippines,” he said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) forum in Washington on April 10.

“Our view is that not only would it affect the Philippines, but it would affect the entire region and could escalate to even something, you know, more dangerous,” Manalo added.

He also emphasized that “the Philippines accords its alliance with the United States and its special place in the context of our independent foreign policy.

“Our alliance stands proud in the nexus of relationships and arrangements buttressing the regional security architecture. This architecture must maintain trust and confidence among parties amidst the U.S.-China rivalry and other geopolitical pressures.”

The Philippines and the United States are allies under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which dictates that the United States and the Philippines will defend each other if either is attacked.

Last year, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Beijing that Washington was obligated to defend the Philippines if its forces, vessels, or aircraft came under attack in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

Andrew Thornebrooke contributed to this report.