The Philippines rebukes China over travel ban on Kalayaan officials
Beijing responds to local government declaration that the Chinese ambassador is persona non grata
Angelica Escalona, spokeswoman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday that while Beijing had the right to ban the officials from entering China, its decision to do so was not helpful.
“While preventing the entry of foreign nationals into their territory is a country’s sovereign prerogative, such actions do not contribute to fostering good and vibrant bilateral relations, especially in reinvigorating people-to-people interaction, which both the Philippines and China have committed to,” the Philippine News Agency quoted Escalona as saying.
A day earlier, the Chinese embassy in Manila said on social media that 16 Kalayaan officials, including town mayor Beltzasar Alindogan and deputy Maurice Phillip Alexis Albayda, were banned from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau.