Philippines reaffirms adherence to One-China Policy after Taiwan elections

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will continue to adhere to the One-China Policy, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Sunday, following the victory of a pro-independence presidential candidate in Taiwan’s elections. 

Taiwanese voters elected Lai Ching-te as president, strongly defying the warnings of China’s ruling Communist Party. Lai, branded by Beijing as a threat to peace in the region, secured an unprecedented third consecutive win for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). 

Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to take the democratic island one day—by force, if necessary.

In a statement, the DFA said the Philippines is “committed to its One-China Policy.”

The joint communique signed by late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Chinese premier Zhou Enlai in 1975 states that the Philippine recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as “the sole legal government of China,” and respects the position of Beijing that Taiwan is “an integral part of Chinese territory.”

It also states that the Philippines and China agree to settle all disputes by peaceful means without resorting to the use of threat or force. Tensions between Manila and China, however, have flared up in recent months, with vessels from both countries facing off in the West Philippine Sea. 

In its National Security Policy 2023 to 2028, the Philippine government said any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait “would inevitably affect” the country given its proximity to the island and the presence of over 150,000 Filipinos there. 

Taiwan’s foreign ministry told China to accept the results of the election and abandon its efforts to suppress the self-ruled island after Beijing said that reunification remained inevitable. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with reports from Agence France-Presse