The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines issued an open letter, stating that it has received several reports of Chinese citizens being subjected to unfair treatment in the Philippines. The Chinese side continues to raise stern representations and express concerns to the Philippine government.
On the 16th, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines published "An Open Letter Concerning the Reflections on Unjust Treatment of Chinese Citizens in the Philippines" on its official website.
The open letter mentions that they have received letters from Chinese compatriots complaining about being unjustly treated at the airport when entering the Philippines. After understanding the situation in detail, the Chinese side immediately made representations to the Philippine side, asking them to effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, investigate the matter, and deal with the involved Philippine personnel.
● "Opportunistic Extortion"
The open letter further mentions that for a period of time, certain institutions and personnel in the Philippines have abused their power in law enforcement, unjustly scrutinizing and harassing Chinese personnel, enterprises, and institutions; delaying the processing of work visas for Chinese enterprise employees, unjustly detaining Chinese citizens holding legal work visas; fabricating and hyping up incidents involving Chinese citizens in "gambling cases," "espionage cases," "arms cases," "child labor cases," etc., even using these opportunities for extortion; and accusing Chinese personnel of "espionage activities" simply for passing through sensitive areas, causing severe disruptions to normal interactions between Chinese and Filipino personnel.
The Chinese Embassy emphasizes that it is determined to protect the safety and legitimate rights of overseas Chinese citizens. It has made continuous stern representations to the concerned Philippine departments, demanding an immediate stop to the unjust scrutiny and harassment of Chinese citizens, to stop spreading and hyping information lacking factual basis, to effectively improve the business environment for Chinese enterprises, and to ensure the personal safety and legitimate rights of Chinese citizens.
● Urging Chinese Citizens in the Philippines to Adhere Strictly to Local Laws
At the same time, the embassy calls on Chinese citizens in the Philippines to strictly abide by local laws, stay away from political gatherings, military facilities, and other sensitive sites, and be wary of falling into security traps and snares.