NATIONAL–The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) believes that China’s ‘ban’ on officials from Kalayaan, Palawan from entering Beijing will not help with its ‘good and spirited’ relationship with the Philippines.
China has also banned the entry of 16 officials from Kalayaan in Hong Kong and Macao, after the local government declared Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan as persona non grata due to the alleged violation on diplomatic protocol and interfering with the internal affairs of the Philippines.
According to the DFA, although it’s the right of a country to implement travel bans, this would not help with strengthening bilateral relations and people-to-people exchanges that both countries promised.
It is known that Kalayaan is the sole municipality in the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea. China’s claim of the said waters is also ongoing, in spite of the international ruling that it has no legal basis.
In the past years, tensions have also worsened in part of the two nations due to incidents such as the collision and use of a water cannon against Filipino vessels.
