Philippines summons Chinese envoy after ex-senator sanctioned

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China said it has prohibited former Philippine Senator Francis Tolentino from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

PHOTO: AFP

MANILA - The Philippine government has summoned China’s envoy to Manila, expressing concern over Beijing’s recent rare move to sanction a former senator who it accused of improper behavior on issues related to China.

While implementing sanctions is within China’s prerogative, “the imposition of punitive measures against democratically elected officials for their official acts is inconsistent with the norms of mutual respect and dialogue that underpin relations between two equal sovereign states,” said Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said in a statement read by Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro at a regular briefing on July 8.

China last week said it has prohibited former Philippine Senator

Francis Tolentino from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

Mr Tolentino, who lost his reelection bid in the May midterm elections, had led Senate inquiries on alleged Chinese spying in the Philippines. He also sponsored a legislation establishing Philippine maritime zones in the South China Sea, which was criticised by Beijing.

Ms Lazaro said “it is the mandate of senators and other elected officials to inquire on matters of national and public interest”.

She added that the foreign affairs department remains committed to addressing differences with China “through diplomacy and dialogue”.

Beijing lays sweeping claims in the resource-rich South China Sea that were rejected by an international tribunal ruling in 2016. The competing claims between the two nations have led to encounters between their ships in the contested waters. BLOOMBERG