In a television interview on Monday, Philippines defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro said there is “zero possibility” that his country and Taiwan could develop a defense cooperation agreement. Teodoro was responding to recent comments made by Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) that suggested interest in such an agreement.
Teodero says the reason is that “the relations between China and Taiwan and its status as an international body is an internal question between China and Taiwan.” Teodero also says that in the same way that the Philippines does not want other countries to interfere in its internal affairs. The Philippines will not do the same to China. He adds that a “security arrangement with Taiwan would be a blatant disregard of that core issue of China.”
The Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu (劉永健) responded on Thursday, saying that Taiwan respects Teodero’s comments. Liu says that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country and is not affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Liu adds that the PRC has never ruled Taiwan.
Liu says Taiwan and the Philippines are close in both relations and geography and that they share values such as democracy and the rule of law. Liu calls on the Philippines and other like-minded countries in the region to fight together against totalitarian expansionism in order to maintain peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.