Over ‘miscommunication, veiled threat’ vs. OFWs in Taiwan
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday voiced his concern over the recent statement made by the Chinese ambassador to Manila, which was widely regarded as a veiled threat to the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan.
“We were all a little surprised, but I just put it down to the difference in language,” the President said about the recent statement by Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, who has been summoned to the Palace to explain himself.
Huang remained mum on the backlash at his recent pronouncements as he attended Wednesday the International Chinese Language Day celebration at the Jose Abad Santos High School in Binondo, Manila.
He did not respond to queries from reporters about his remarks last Friday.
At a recent forum, Huang said Beijing “reserves the option of taking all necessary measures” should matters escalate in the Taiwan Strait and advised Manila to oppose “Taiwan independence” if it really cares about the 150,000 Filipinos working there.
The President said this sounded like Huang was ordering the Philippines not to meddle in the Taiwanese situation.
“I interpreted it as him trying to say that the Philippines should not provoke or intensify the tensions because it will impact badly on the Filipinos there,” Marcos said.
“That’s how I take it and I will be talking to the ambassador soon and I’m sure he will be very anxious to give his own interpretation of what he was trying to say,” the President added.
Marcos acknowledged that there might have been a language problem.
“English is not his first language but I’m very interested to know what it is that he meant,” he said.
The Chinese embassy in Manila said Huang was “misquoted” and provided a transcript of the ambassador’s remarks.
“The Philippines is advised to unequivocally oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ rather than stoking the fire by offering the US access to the military bases near the Taiwan Strait if you care genuinely about the 150,000 OFWs,” the ambassador said.
Senator Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday slammed Huang for threatening to put the jobs of thousands of OFWs in Taiwan at risk if the country failed to oppose Taiwan’s independence.
Earlier, Tulfo called Huang Xilian a bully who is not content that China is harassing Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea
“Now they’re using OFWs as hostages,” he said as he accused the Chinese ambassador of humiliating Filipinos.
Tulfo also advised Filipinos working in Taiwan not to worry.
“We will not abandon you,” he said.
Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the country was not “meddling in the internal affairs of China concerning Taiwan” and that the expansion of American troops’ access to Philippine military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) was not directed against any country.