Chinese embassy cool on ‘kidnap’ dialogue

The Chinese embassy remained unperturbed by charges it was allegedly coddling criminals from China and continued to be cool to suggestions that it conduct a dialogue with the Filipino-Chinese community.

Chinese embassy spokesperson Wang Luo said the embassy had already explained its controversial acts in the case of seven Chinese nationals who were charged for the abduction of Filipino-Chinese businesswoman Jacky Rowena Tiu in La Union on September.

Wang said members of the Filipino-Chinese community, many of whom are still Chinese citizens, could have contacted the embassy when the legation delivered a note verbale to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) demanding the release of two of the seven suspects in the case.

"We have plenty of channels but they did not (try to reach us)," Wang said in an interview.

Consequently, the basis of the note verbale was simply the statements of the seven suspects although Tiu positively identified all seven in a police line-up.

"We only have the statements of the recent reports on the Chinese suspects. No Filipino-Chinese community reached us and I think they have the necessary means to contact us," Wang said.