PH still adheres to One China Policy – DFA

September 21 ------ THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reaffirmed the country’s adherence to the “One China Policy,” stressing that Manila’s diplomatic stance remains “consistent, clear and unchanged.”

In a statement on Sunday, the DFA said the country’s adherence was based on the 1975 Joint Communiqué, recognizing Beijing as the sole legal government of China. “This policy remains consistent, clear and unchanged,” it said.

It noted, however, that adherence to the policy does not prevent Manila from maintaining economic, cultural and functional exchanges with Taiwan. “As President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. recently noted, the Philippines and Taiwan are close neighbors with a long history of doing business together,” it said.

The president stressed that point during the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (Focap) presidential luncheon in August, where he said the country “has no desire to be a belligerent nation in the region” if war would erupt in Taiwan.

The DFA said its mandate as the primary voice in charting the nation’s diplomatic path is based on Executive Order 292, the Administrative Code of 1987, and the 1987 Constitution. Executive authority over foreign policy is vested in the president, with the department serving as the lead agency tasked to advise, coordinate, and implement national policies in foreign relations, it said.

Together with other government agencies, the DFA said it will continue to safeguard the welfare of Filipinos on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. “Consistent with this mandate, the Department will continue to rely on effective diplomacy, open communication, and the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law to advance the national interest and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and beyond,” it said.

Source: manilatimes.net