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Kalayaan town in Palawan declares Chinese envoy Huang Xilian persona non grata

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Raffy Cabristante, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian graces an event in Taguig City in February 2023. The town of Kalayaan in the disputed Spratly Islands recently declared him persona non grata over his statements on Beijing" s="" use="" of="" water="" cannons="" at="" Philippine="" Coast="" Guard="" vessels="" near="" Ayungin="" Shoal.="" Mark="" ABS-CBN="" News="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/04/15/20230208-bay-area-dragons-bball-clinic-md-4.jpg"/><figcaption>Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian graces an event in Taguig City in February 2023. The town of Kalayaan in the disputed Spratly Islands recently declared him persona non grata over his statements on Beijing&#x27;s use of water cannons at Philippine Coast Guard vessels near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The municipal council of Kalayaan, a town in Palawan within the hotly contested Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, has declared Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian persona non grata in response to Beijing&#x27;s water cannoning of Philippine Coast Guard boats at the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal earlier this month.</p><p>The town&#x27;s council unanimously adopted the resolution, with copies of the measure to be furnished to the provincial government of Palawan, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Office of the President, the Senate, and the Chinese Embassy in Manila.</p><p>In the resolution, the council condemned the Chinese Coast Guard&#x27;s actions on Aug. 5, when it blocked and fired water cannons at Philippine Coast Guard vessels attempting to resupply Filipino troops garrisoned at the BRP Sierra Madre grounded at the Ayungin Shoal.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/06/23/china-blasts-water-cannons-at-filipino-boats-in-west-ph-sea-pcg">Philippines slams China&#x27;s use of water cannons at PCG boats in Ayungin Shoal</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/07/23/china-clash-with-ph-vessels-professional-restrained">China says sea clash with Philippines vessels &#x27;professional and restrained&#x27;</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2751211" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>The council also took note of Huang&#x27;s statements following the incident, saying these were a &quot;disrespect&quot; to Philippine sovereignty and the country&#x27;s rightful ownership of parts of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).</p><p>In a speech, Kalayaan councilor Maurice Philip Alexis Albayda quoted Huang as saying that Beijing had &quot;no choice but to make necessary responses and the China Coast Guard has implemented appropriate action in accordance with the law.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Wow, nakakakilabot,&quot; Albayda said in his speech, reacting to Huang&#x27;s pronouncements.</p><p>(Wow, how infuriating.)</p><p>&quot;Tunay na nakakagalit ang ginawa ng ating kapit-bansa... manhid, ganid, at taksil na lamang ang mga Pilipinong hindi makakaramdam ng poot sa ginagawa ng Tsina sa atin,&quot; Albayda added.</p><p>(It angers me what our neighboring countries are doing to us. Only numb, greedy, and treacherous Filipinos would not feel anger over what China has been doing to us.)</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/10/23/pcg-official-calls-pro-china-filipinos-traitors">&#x27;Traitors&#x27;: PCG official slams Filipinos defending China in fresh maritime row</a></li></ul><p>Kalayaan is among the Philippines&#x27; the least populated towns. Its center on Pag-asa Island is where Manila asserts its claims over the disputed island group.</p><p>Days after the Aug. 5 incident, Manila filed a diplomatic protest over Beijing&#x27;s use of water cannons. China responded by demanding the Philippines to remove BRP Sierra Madre, claiming Manila had committed to do so. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo denied making such a commitment.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/19/23/arroyo-denies-deal-with-china-to-remove-brp-sierra-madre">Arroyo denies deal with China to remove BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/21/23/solons-mull-probe-over-phs-alleged-promise-to-china-to-withdraw-brp-sierra-madre">Solons mull probe over PH&#x27;s alleged promise to China to withdraw BRP Sierra Madre</a></li></ul><div><strong>REACTIONS</strong></div><p>Sen. Risa Hontiveros welcomed the declaration, saying such move was part of the town&#x27;s prerogative.</p><p>&quot;After all, why would they welcome someone who seems to encourage China’s threats and harassment in their own shores? Why would they welcome someone who does not recognize their right to exist in the first place?&quot; Hontiveros asked in a statement.</p><p>&quot;The residents and fisherfolk from Kalayaan have lost their traditional fishing grounds and their main source of livelihood because of China’s presence in the West Philippine Sea. The municipality has all the right to defend their home, not least by banning individuals who continue to disrespect Philippine sovereignty and the dignity of the Filipino people,&quot; she added.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2758931" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The declaration was in response to Huang's statements following Beijing's use of water cannons at Philippine Coast Guard vessels near Ayungin Shoal.

Kalayaan town in Palawan declares Chinese envoy Huang Xilian persona non grata

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Kalayaan town in Palawan declares Chinese envoy Huang Xilian persona non grata

Raffy Cabristante,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 22, 2023 04:14 PM PHT

|

Updated Aug 22, 2023 04:34 PM PHT

Read More:

Kalayaan

Palawan

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

Huang Xilian

persona non grata

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