Beijing won’t adopt ‘tit-for-tat’ approach if PH deports illegal Chinese workers — Embassy

On Tuesday, the spokesman said Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua had told him that if the Philippines will deport Chinese workers in the country “not in accordance with the law,” then it will also “do the same.” (File Photo: Office of the Presidential Spokesperson/Facebook)

Contrary to the statement made by Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, the Chinese embassy in Manila on Thursday, February 28, clarified that it will not do the same if the Philippine government decided to repatriate illegal Chinese workers in the country,

“First, China adheres to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs,” the embassy said.

“The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines did not say that Beijing would adopt a ‘tit-for-tat’ approach should the Philippine government deport Chinese nationals found working illegally in the country,” it added.

On Tuesday, the spokesman said Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua had told him that if the Philippines will deport Chinese workers in the country that is “not in accordance with the law,” then it will also “do the same.”

The embassy stressed that it “respects” the Philippines’ laws and regulations on the employment of foreign nationals in its country and acknowledged that Chinese nationals should “not stay or work illegally” in other countries.

“Chinese law enforcement agencies will continue to properly handle relevant issues concerning foreign nationals working illegally in China in accordance with laws and regulations,” it said, hoping that the Philippines’ law enforcement agencies will also “continue to deal with relevant issues in accordance with the laws and regulations in a professional manner.”

It added that their government has “always requested” the Chinese people to observe the Philippine laws and regulations.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said illegal Chinese workers should be left to work in the Philippines, fearing that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in China will also be deported.

“We have 300,000 Filipinos in China. Kaya hindi ako maka — sabihin, ‘o umalis kayo dito, deport ka doon.’ Eh kung bigla paalisin ‘yun (Filipinos) doon (That is why I cannot say, ‘get out of here, we will have you deported.’ What if Filipinos there were asked to leave)?” he had said.

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan had urged the Duterte administration to fire and file charges against officials of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) who allowed the entry of 400,000 illegal Chinese workers into the country.

The lawmaker said it is not China that the government should be afraid of, but the “anger” of millions of jobless Filipinos “while we give special treatment to these Chinese illegals.”‘