DND: Philippines working on contingency plan in case China invades Taiwan 

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government is closely monitoring the threat of an invasion of Taiwan by China and preparing for possible contingencies, defense chief Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said on Thursday.

At a press briefing, Teodoro said that the department is planning on “all contingencies” related to the threat and other possible conflicts within the region. 

“We continue to plan on all contingencies not merely any flashpoint between China and Taiwan but any contingency within the theater and its a multi-agency effort not only the defense effort,” Teodoro said according to a GMA News report.

The DND is monitoring the situation in Taiwan daily and remains vigilant over tensions in the region, Teodoro said.

 Teodoro stressed that the department also has to assess the likelihood of an invasion from Beijing.

“Hopefully the engagements bilaterally between the United States and China leads to the diffusion of tensions in that territory,” Teodoro said.

On June 24, Taiwan's defense ministry reported that eight Chinese warplanes had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and come close to waters under Taipei's control, according to a news report by Agence France-Presse. 

Beijing has also increasingly entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in recent years and has exerted more pressure on countries to sever relations with the island.

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian reminded the Philippines to adhere to the One-China policy after United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022. 

Huang said in response to Pelosi's visit that Taiwan remains an "inalienable part" of China's territory — a claim that Taiwan has repeatedly rejected.

The Economist Intelligence Unit warned in early July that the Philippines is among the three countries that will be "hardest hit" in the event of a full conflict scenario involving China, Taiwan and the US. 

This is because the Philippines, along with Japan and South Korea, remain US allies, sit close to the Taiwan Strait and engage in heavy trade with China, according to the economic forecasting organization.  — Cristina Chi