EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 313 - PROHIBITING PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO VISIT TAIWAN OR TO RECEIVE CALLS BY VISITING TAIWANESE OFFICIALS

WHEREAS, under the terms of the Joint Communiqué dated 9 June 1975, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the People’s Republic of China exchanged mutual recognition; 

WHEREAS, under the same Joint Communiqué the Government of the Republic of the Philippines recognized the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and that there is but one China and that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory;

WHEREAS, any official dealing with Taiwan on the part of the Philippines would be contrary to the one-China policy and the agreement with the Government of the People’s Republic of China;

WHEREAS, it was the understanding that people-to-people relations between the Philippines and Taiwan may continue, such commercial. economic, cultural and other unofficial contacts;

WHEREAS, unofficial contacts between the Philippines and Taiwan are facilitated by private offices — the Philippines’ Asian Exchange Center, Inc. in Taipei and Taiwan’s Pacific Economic and Cultural Center in Manila — whose operations are tolerated by the People’s Republic of China, provided that they maintain their non-governmental image and are not accorded diplomatic or formal consular status;

WHEREAS, even private visits to Taiwan by high-ranking Philippine government officials assume an official character, since they are perceived as representatives of the Philippine Government, and their visits are publicized and draw public attention;

WHEREAS, visits of Philippine government officials to Taiwan and calls of visiting Taiwanese officials on Philippine government officials are perceived by the People’s Republic of China as violations of the one-China policy and the terms of the Joint Communiqué;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order, as a matter of policy, the following:

1. No official of the Philippine government may visit Taiwan.

2. No official of the Philippine government may receive Taiwanese officials visiting the Philippines.  

3. No official activity relating to Taiwan shall be carried out without the clearance of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Since 19.07.98.