A view of the Taiwan Straits is seen from Xiamen port, in East China's Fujian Province. Photo: IC

In response to Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr's recent comment on Taiwan in an interview during his visit to India, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China firmly opposes them. The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Embassy in the Philippines have lodged serious protests with the Philippine side.

According to media reports, during his visit to India, the Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr claimed in an interview that "if there is a confrontation over Taiwan between China and the US, there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it, simply because of our physical geographic location. If there is an all-out war (across the Taiwan Straits), then the Philippines will be joined into it.

He also claimed that in addition, there are a large volume of Filipinos in Taiwan. If there is a war across the Taiwan Straits, the Philippines has to get involved and try to bring their citizens back.

The spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday in a statement that there is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Taiwan question is China's internal affair which is at the very core of China's core interests. How to settle it is a matter for the Chinese ourselves, which brooks no interference.

The spokesperson said that the Philippine government has made serious commitments to China that it adheres to the one-China policy, recognizes that Taiwan is an integral part of the Chinese territory and understands the Chinese government's efforts to realize national reunification. The Philippine leader also said clearly to China that the Philippines is committed to the one-China policy, and the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair that must be solved by the Chinese people. As these words are still ringing in our ears, the Philippines is going back on its words in disregard of the grave consequences. It has kept making wrong and provocative remarks and actions, kept fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, and kept harming the China-Philippines relations. China firmly opposes this. 

It needs to be further stressed that "geographic location" and "large volume of Filipinos" in Taiwan should not be used as pretexts to interfere in the internal and sovereign affairs of other countries. These claims not only contravene international law and the ASEAN Charter, but also harm regional peace and stability and the fundamental interests of its own people. 

"We urge the Philippines to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the spirit of China-Philippines Joint Communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations, and refrain from playing fire on issues bearing on China's core interests," said the spokesperson.

Ding Duo, director of the Research Center for International and Regional Studies at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said that amid concern about the US' ambivalent stance toward allies and waning support, Marcos Jr is intensifying its provocative moves in the South China Sea while stoking friction over China's core interests on the Taiwan question. 

The goal is to flaunt the Philippines' "value" to Washington and secure more Western military and security backing. However, Marcos Jr's attempt to play the Taiwan card is destined to fail, Ding told the Global Times. 

China's position is unequivocal: the Taiwan question is a red line. Continued provocation will only backfire on the Philippines, and China would respond accordingly, Ding warned. 

Also on Friday, Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, urged the Philippines to stop its provocations and propaganda, stop ganging up with others to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, in response to a question about reports that the Philippine armed forces claimed that the Philippines-India joint naval exercise conducted near China's Huangyan Dao was designed to enhance the interoperability of the two militaries and to demonstrate support for the Philippines in its skirmishes with China.

"We oppose using the South China Sea issue as a pretext to provoke confrontation, and we believe that military cooperation between relevant countries should not target any third party or undermine regional peace and stability," Jiang said. 

Regarding the Philippines' recent provocations, Ding said Marcos Jr is venturing ever further down a risky and aggressive path, encroaching on China's core interests. Such actions will inflict deep and potentially irreparable damage to China-Philippines relations.