Malacañang on Wednesday assured the public that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) were “closely monitoring” the visit of United States (US) Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan amid the escalating tension between Washington and Beijing.
“Our military and our DFA are closely monitoring the situation as they would, in any other similar circumstance,” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz Angeles said during a Palace briefing.
She made the remark after Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian reminded the Philippines to adhere to the One-China policy amid Pelosi’s visit to what Beijing calls its “breakaway province.”
Angeles refused to further comment on the matter, saying that any statements coming from the Palace would affect the country’s relations with other nations.
Reactions studied
“On matters of international relations, reactions are studied. We don’t make knee-jerk reactions because they could adversely affect international relations,” she stressed.
Cruz-Angeles further said, “loose words” that might affect international relations were “very difficult to rebuild.”
Huang expressed China’s opposition to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
“There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” Huang said.
He stressed that the One-China principle is “the political foundation of the diplomatic relations between China and 181 countries in the world, including the US.”
The One-China principle states that Taiwan, a self-governing island, is part of China.
Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, 2 August. Her visit was the first official trip to Taiwan by a House Speaker in 25 years.
The last to do so was then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997.