MANILA – The Philippines on Tuesday reaffirmed its “One China Policy” amid President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s gesture congratulating Taiwan’s newly elected leader Lai Ching-te.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued the statement as the President on Monday posted on X (formerly Twitter) his message to Lai.
“On behalf of the Filipino people, I congratulate President-elect Lai Ching-te on his election as Taiwan’s next president. We look forward to close collaboration, strengthening mutual interests, fostering peace, ensuring prosperity for our people,” Marcos wrote on X.
Lai turned to X to thank Marcos, “I deeply value the enduring friendship between Taiwan and the Philippines. I look forward to enhancing our economic and people-to-people ties while championing democracy, peace and prosperity in the region.”
The DFA said the Philippines and Taiwan “share mutual interests which include the welfare of nearly 200,000 OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) in Taiwan.”
“The message of President Marcos congratulating the new president was his way of thanking them for hosting our OFWs and holding a successful democratic process,” the DFA said.
“Nevertheless, the Philippines reaffirms its One China Policy,” the Foreign Affairs department said.
The Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFa) also expressed its gratitude to Marcos for congratulating Lai.
“We, too, eagerly anticipate fostering an increasingly robust partnership to promote our nation’s shared interests as well as Indo Pacific peace and prosperity,” the MoFa said.
The DFA said the Philippines reaffirms “the principles contained in the Joint Communique of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the People’s Republic of China signed by President Ferdinand E. Marcos and Premier Zhou Enlai on June 9, 1975.”
“The Philippines is committed to its One-China Policy. The Joint Communique states that ‘the two Governments agree to settle all disputes by peaceful means without resorting to the use or threat of force,'” the DFA said.
