China envoy surprised by Romualdez’s phone hacking story

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian was “surprised” by the statement of Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez that he had raised with Huang his concern over Chinese hacking of his phone and extracting information.

“With regard to the report of Ambassador Romualdez saying he talked to Ambassador Huang about the so-called Chinese hacking his phone, I verified the story with Ambassador Huang, he was surprised by such a story since he hasn’t met Ambassador Romualdez for a long time,” the Chinese embassy yesterday declared.

“The two ambassadors have never touched upon the so-called Chinese hacking issue and Ambassador Huang doesn’t know where Ambassador Romualdez got this story from,” it added.

At a forum in a university in the US, Romualdez recalled a conversation with Huang, who reportedly laughed when he raised the Chinese hacking of his phone.

Romualdez said he kidded Huang that he had to change his phone a number of times.

Amend espionage laws

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. called on Congress to urgently amend the country’s espionage laws following the arrest of a Chinese national and his two Filipino cohorts suspected of conducting espionage activities in the country.

He stated that the arrest of a suspected Chinese spy highlights the need to strengthen the Philippines’ legal frameworks in response to evolving national security threats.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is taking seriously any indication of foreign espionage operations in the country.

The DFA stands ready to support the Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other relevant government agencies as they undertake their respective mandates in accordance with the law.