Analysis: Taiwan Delegation to Philippines Sparks Debate Over One-China Policy

TaiwanPlus News

Taiwan-Philippines ties are drawing attention as the Philippine Senate examines a recent visit by a Taiwanese delegation to Manila. To better understand the implications, TaiwanPlus spoke with Renato Cruz de Castro, a distinguished professor at De La Salle University.

Transcript

00:00Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Jialong's reported visit to the Philippines would be the highest

00:05level trip since Manila eased its restriction on engagement with Taiwan in April. How would

00:10you view this development? First, we have to ask a question. Did that event really happen?

00:17So just in case, of course, it really did happen, I think this is really more as a result of the

00:25move of the Philippine government to amend its 1987 executive order regarding a very strict

00:34one-China policy. So, of course, you have Memorandum 82 that came out just April, which

00:41actually encourages exchanges when it comes to trade, economic, and cultural activities.

00:49What impact could Taiwan's delegation to the Philippines have on Taiwan-Philippines trade

00:55and economic relations? They're part of the US-Taiwan Economic Council. So again, this is not

01:03simply Taiwan. It is Taiwanese and American businessmen who have, of course, interest in

01:09investing in the Luzon Corridor. So this is the goal of the Philippines, Japan, and the United States to

01:16develop what we call the Luzon Corridor. So just in case you have, of course, the US-Taiwan Economic

01:23Council interested in this corridor, that's good for the Philippines. That's good for business. It's

01:27not a violation of one-China policy, primarily because it has something to do with trade and

01:32investment issues. Some Philippine senators have warned that this trip could provoke China. Do you

01:37think it will? Definitely China would react despite the fact that his presence here was, of course,

01:43just in case it's true, was primarily an economic. It's there not to represent Taiwan as a diplomat,

01:50but as part of a trade delegation, which is actually allowed by Memorandum 1882. As long as the

01:56relationship is economic, cultural trade, it is not a violation of the one-China policy.

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