TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China has protested closer security cooperation between Taiwan and the Philippines.
In a statement on Friday, the Chinese foreign ministry said Department of Asian Affairs Director-General Liu Jinsong (劉勁松) expressed "stern representations" and "strong dissatisfaction" to Philippine Ambassador to China, Jaime FlorCruz, over the "negative moves" with Taiwan and other maritime issues, per Reuters.
Beijing’s ire comes one week after a Washington Post report revealed that the Philippines has deepened military exchanges with Taiwan in the past year.
Philippine academics were in closed-door forums with top Taiwanese generals earlier this year to better understand Taiwan’s approach to security, the Washington Post cited Taiwanese and Philippine government officials and advisers as saying.
They revealed that the Philippine Coast Guard recently conducted patrols with their Taiwanese counterparts in the Bashi Channel. Last month, Taiwan also sent navy and marine corps personnel to observe the Kamandag joint exercise led by the US and Philippine marines, they said.
Taiwanese officers participated in tabletop planning, and according to a Taiwan government adviser, “Our security and military cooperation with the Philippines is going to get closer and closer.”
