Marcos to talk to Chinese envoy over comments on Taiwan OFWs

MANILA, April 20 ----- President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said Wednesday he would seek clarity from Chinese Ambassador in Manila Huang Xilian regarding his comments on overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Taiwan.

"English is not his first language but I am very interested to know what it is he meant," said the President. "I will be talking to the ambassador soon and I'm sure he will be very anxious to give his own interpretation of what he was trying to say," he added. "But I just put it down to the difference in language."

The Chinese Embassy this week said Huang was "misquoted" on Taiwan OFWs and the developments regarding the United States' expanded access to Philippine military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). It provided a transcript of Huang's statement, where he said, "Some tried to find excuse for the new EDCA sites by citing the safety of the 150,000 OFWs in Taiwan, while China is the last country that wishes to see conflict over the Strait because people on both sides are Chinese."

"But we will not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. This is to guard against external interference and all separatist activities," it also read. "The Philippines is advised to unequivocally oppose 'Taiwan independence' rather than stoking the fire by offering the US access to the military bases near the Taiwan Strait if you care genuinely about the 150,000 OFWs."

Marcos said Huang's remarks "surprised" him. "I interpret it as he trying to say 'Philippines, do not provoke or intensify the tensions because it will impact badly on the Filipinos,' that's how I take it," said the President. A former general and an analyst earlier described Huang's statements as a "veiled threat" to the OFWs in Taiwan. Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the country was not "meddling in the internal affairs of China concerning Taiwan" and that the expansion of American troops' access to EDCA was not directed against any country.

Marcos previously said the Philippines would not allow its military bases to be used for any offensive attacks.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com