China blasts Philippines over Taiwan exec's visit

China has turned up the heat on the Philippines, accusing Manila of undermining its One China commitments after reports that Taiwan's top diplomat Lin Chia-lung quietly visited the country this week.

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In a statement released Friday, August 29, Beijing denounced the visit as a blatant breach of diplomatic norms and a dangerous opening for what it called “Taiwan independence separatists.”

“The Philippines, by letting Lin Chia-lung visit the country as a so-called head of a foundation, has provided a platform for ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists to engage in anti-China activities, and has severely violated the basic norms in international relations and the Philippines’ own commitment on Taiwan-related issues,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

The ministry added that Manila has, in recent months, engaged in “a series of wrong and provocative moves on Taiwan-related issues,” charging that the government is “hollowing out” the very policy it pledged to uphold under its 1975 communiqué with Beijing.

“This once again reflects the serious lack of credibility of the Philippine government,” the Chinese official said.