The relationship between Manila and Beijing is tense, and the Philippine-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry has withdrawn Chinese teachers from all Chinese schools in the Philippines
Affected by the remarks of the Philippine Defense Minister and think tanks, about 150 Chinese teachers have returned to China in batches
Quick Look
- Amid tensions between Manila and Beijing, the Philippine-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chinese Education Center decided to evacuate about 150 Chinese teachers from Chinese schools across the Philippines.
- This move stems from Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro and think tanks' doubts about Chinese education, which caused teachers' families to worry about their safety.
- The school arranged for teachers to return to the country in batches based on security considerations.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Manila and Beijing have recently experienced tensions in bilateral relations over disputes in the South China Sea. Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro publicly questioned the safety of China’s educational exchanges, triggering local Chinese schools’ concerns about teacher safety.
As tensions between Manila and Beijing heat up again, Hong Kong Ming Pao reported today that the Philippine-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chinese Education Center have recently decided to withdraw Chinese teachers from Chinese schools across the Philippines. It is reported that about 150 people have been returned to China in batches.
The report quoted the Philippine Business Daily as saying that due to the successive attacks on local Chinese education by the head of the US think tank "SeaLight" (SeaLight) and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., many families of Chinese teachers in the Philippines are worried about the safety of their children and have asked them to return home. For safety reasons, the Philippine-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry could not refuse the request of the teacher’s family and agreed to arrange an evacuation.
Reports say that about 150 Chinese teachers left the Philippines this time. The Philippine-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently formally notified the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and relevant Chinese departments, and then sent a letter to inform all Chinese schools in the Philippines of the relevant decision. It was pointed out that arrangements were made for Chinese teachers to return to China in batches throughout the entire day of October 1st.
There are currently about 130 to 150 Chinese schools in the Philippines, and expatriate teachers are an important source of local Chinese teachers. After some Chinese schools officially issued letters to parents recently to inform parents of the decision, some parents posted the letters to social media and attracted attention.
Tiodoro recently pointed out that educational and academic exchanges involving China may be used to obtain information. He also questioned the extent to which teachers can operate independently under the Chinese system.
In response, Ji Lingpeng, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, recently issued a statement to refute, saying that Tiodoro's remarks "ignore the facts, confuse right and wrong, and attempt to disrupt and damage China-Philippines relations, sever the friendship between the Chinese and Philippine people, and create confrontation between the two countries and peoples."
Open Questions
- How can the teaching operations of Chinese schools be maintained after teachers are evacuated?
- Will China and the Philippines conduct further negotiations on educational exchanges?
