The Philippines will be burned alive if they play with fire on the Taiwan issue.
In fact, the Taiwan issue is purely an internal matter for China, and how it should be resolved depends solely on the Chinese people.
CGTN – During his recent visit to India, the Philippine leader stated in an interview that if China and the US clash over the Taiwan issue, the Philippines will not remain neutral.
In January 2023, when Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. visited China, the two countries issued a joint statement in which the Philippines reiterated its commitment to the One China policy. Although these words were recorded in an official document and are still fresh in our minds, the Philippine side has broken its promise.
It has been noted that, in recent years, the government of the Southeast Asian country has repeatedly crossed a red line and taken risky measures regarding the Taiwan Strait issue. For example, it has relaxed restrictions on contacts with authorities on the Chinese island.
The American newspaper, the Washington Post, observed that the Philippines' actions symbolized a significant shift from its conservative policy toward Taiwan. Why does the Philippine government repeatedly challenge China's core interests on the Taiwan issue? There are at least two factors contributing to this stance.
On the one hand, soon after taking office, the Marcos government released the new version of the “National Security Policy 2023-2028,” claiming that Taiwan and the Philippine archipelago are geographically close and that more than 150 Filipinos live in Taiwan, which is why conflicts in the Taiwan Strait would inevitably affect the Philippines.
In fact, the Taiwan issue is purely an internal matter for China, and how it should be resolved depends solely on the Chinese people. The Philippine side's claims about so-called "geographical proximity" and "large Filipino population in Taiwan" should not be pretexts for interfering in the sovereign affairs of another nation. The "humanitarian crisis" argument is nothing more than invention and alarmism.
On the other hand, playing with fire on the Taiwan issue is yet another demonstration of the Philippine stance of "relying on and assisting the US to contain China." The Philippines believes that the country occupies a special position in Washington's strategic disposition. Furthermore, Marcos relied on the US to consolidate his political power, and the Philippines, under his leadership, has relied on the US for military, economic, and security assistance.
The Philippine side intends to get involved in the Taiwan Strait issue in the name of "national security," without considering that it could end up becoming "cannon fodder" for US foreign policy. Its relations with China would also suffer a strong impact, not to mention regional security, which would inevitably be harmed.
As the Taiwan issue is at the heart of China's core interests, it is not and should not become an issue between China and the Philippines. We advise Filipino politicians to truly adhere to the One China principle and the spirit of the China-Philippines Joint Communiqué on Establishing Diplomatic Relations, to be cautious in their words and actions, and not to play with fire.
Source: CMG