RP bars Taiwan VP for China’s sake

The government has barred Taiwanese Vice President Annette Lu from making a stopover in the Philippines to avoid antagonizing China, Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja said Monday.

Manila’s action was designed to ensure that Li Peng, the chairman of China’s National People’s Congress, would pursue his planned visit to the Philippines later this year, Baja told reporters. He gave no specific dates for the Li visit.

Baja would not say whether Taiwan’s Lu had actually sought permission to visit the Philippines in the first place.

He said Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian could also expect the same treatment if he tried to visit the Philippines.

Lu made a four-day visit to Indonesia last week, angering Beijing which considers Taiwan a part of its territory. Neither Jakarta nor Manila recognize Taiwan.

Baja said on Saturday Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople, "upon learning that she (Lu) will arrive any time that day from Jakarta, Indonesia," contacted the airport and immigration authorities.

He "gave specific instructions that Lu’s aircraft should not be given clearance to land because it might prejudice the upcoming visit of Li Peng," Baja added.

Baja said the defense department informed Ople that "no clearance was given to the aircraft carrying the Taiwanese official."

Ople also alerted other Philippine airports to implement his order, and instructed the Filipino envoy to Jakarta, Rafael Seguis "to monitor all departures from Jakarta," he said.

In the end, "Lu flew directly from Jakarta via Singapore Airlines, the plane had a stopover in Singapore, then flew straight to Taipei."

Baja said China has also alerted Manila about a possible visit here by Taiwanese leader Chen.

"China already alerted us about it. There were feelers. We assured them that we have no information about the visit," he said, adding that Taipei’s cultural office here has told the government that they were unaware of such a plan.

"Whether he’s coming in as a private citizen, official or as chairman of a political party, no way," Baja said. – AFP