DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr yesterday said it was “unfortunate” that the spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry resorted to “gutter-level talk” in criticizing President Marcos Jr for congratulating Taiwanese president-elect Lai Ching-te for winning the election last Saturday.
Teodoro said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning further devalued herself and the party she represents for making such comments.
“It is unfortunate that the PRC (People’s Republic of China) Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson stooped to such low and gutter level talk – resorting to insulting our President and the Filipino nation, and further debasing herself, the Ministry, and Party she represents in the process,” he said in a statement.
“But then again, we should not at all be surprised – being a nation and people enjoying the privileges, rights, and freedoms of a democratic society – that an agent of a Party and system of government incompatible with our way of life and who routinely spouts State-sanctioned propaganda and disinformation would go that far and that low,” he added.
Teodoro nevertheless said he was not surprised over Mao’s statements.
“It is unfortunate, but I am, myself, unsurprised. The spokesperson’s statements were `on brand.’ We, and the world, should not expect more,” he said.
On Monday, Marcos congratulated Lai for his victory, adding the Philippine government was looking forward to “close collaboration, strengthening mutual interests, fostering peace and ensuring prosperity for our peoples in the years ahead.”
The following day, Mao said China was “strongly dissatisfied” with Marcos’ remarks. She even warned the Philippine government “not to play with fire” on the Taiwan issue.
Mao also said Marcos’ remarks “constitute a serious violation of the `One China’ principle and … a serious breach of the political commitments made by the Philippines to the Chinese side, and a gross interference in China’s internal affairs.”
Mao even suggested that Marcos “read more books to properly understand the ins and outs of the Taiwan issue, so as to draw the right conclusions.”
Aside from Mao’s statements, China also said it summoned Philippine Ambassador Jaime FlorCruz to explain. This amid rising tension in the South China Sea where Chinese vessels have been bullying Philippine ships in the West Philippine Sea.
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros reiterated her call for a review of the One China policy as she said China “has no business telling Filipinos what to say or not.”
She added: “The administration should get its act together. We cannot have the President, the chief architect of foreign policy, say one thing, while the Department of Foreign Affairs says another.”
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said Marcos’ congratulatory message is a violation of the One China policy which has been adopted more than 40 years ago.
“We have a One China policy which we adopted some 40 to 50 years ago… we should be consistent with our own decision to adopt a One China policy. This means that we recognize the People’s Republic of China as the only so-called China and the capital city is Beijing),” Pimentel said in mixed Filipino and English during a phone interview with Senate media.
Pimentel, former chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said the Philippine government should be constantly aware of the sensitivity of the issue that China believes that Taiwan is its “renegade” province.
“Do we go out of our way to greet the winner of that renegade province? We could have refrained from doing so,” he said.
Pimentel also said he does not blame China for getting “upset” over the congratulatory message.
Just like the issue with China in the West Philippine Sea, Pimentel said the congratulatory message of Marcos to Lai “is not the be all and end all of our relationship with the People’s Republic of China.”
“It (the relationship) will continue. We can do something else to improve on our bilateral relations. Just because the President congratulated the Taiwanese winner doesn’t mean that the goodness and goodwill will go to waste. We can save our relations with China because our business chamber to business chamber relations with the People’s Republic of China, and the Filipino-Chinese community are strong,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English. — With Raymond Africa
