Roque reiterates PH position: Taiwan is part of China

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Thursday stood by his remark that Taiwan is part of China, which drew “strong dissatisfaction and high regret” from Taipei.

Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanna Ou earlier called out Roque for saying that China can decide on the deportation of an overseas Filipino working in Taiwan whom the Philippine government requested to be deported over her anti-Duterte sentiments online.

Roque, however, refused to budge as he reiterated that the Philippines, like many countries in the world, considers Taiwan as part of China.

“We’ve always had one position in this regard, together with many countries of the world. I’ll leave it at that,” Roque said in an online Palace briefing.

The Philippines honors the so-called “One China Policy,” which declares Taiwan as among China’s territory under the 1975 Joint Communique between the Chinese and Philippine governments.

In a televised interview Wednesday, Roque was asked to comment on Taiwan’s refusal to deport the Filipina caregiver.

He said: “We leave that wholly to the jurisdiction of Taiwan and China. Taiwan is part of China. We respect that decision and of course in the same way that we will enforce our laws in all foreigners while they are in our jurisdiction.”

China and Taiwan separated in 1949 following the victory of communist forces under Mao Zedong. Since then, the two sides have been governed separately.

But even as Taiwan has been insisting on its sovereignty, China has always maintained that it still owns Taiwan.

In February, the Philippines included Taiwan in the travel ban imposed on China to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Philippine officials claimed that even the World Health Organization had noted that Taiwan is part of China, a move that did not sit well with Taipei officials who even threatened to enforce retaliatory measures against the Philippines.

EDV