Taiwan government offended by travel ban grouping with China

The Taiwan government expressed offense over the Philippines' temporary travel ban, not due to the novel coronavirus, but because they were grouped with mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

MECO Chairman Angelito Tan Banayo stated that Taiwan's government was angered by being categorized as part of China, which contradicts Taiwan's stance as an independent state.

Senator Joel Villanueva described the inclusion of Taiwan in the travel ban as "wrong," questioning the government's adherence to the "One China" policy.

Villanueva argued that the ban should apply to the source or locations with a high incidence of infection, noting Taiwan only had 18 confirmed cases compared to China's much higher numbers.

Dr. Tony Leachon also objected to the inclusion, stating it was unfair to lump Taiwan with China given their differing case numbers.

The expansion of the travel restriction affected hundreds of travelers, including OFWs scheduled to leave for Taiwan, with no exemptions.

Taiwan asserted its sovereignty and independence from China and was reportedly considering retaliatory measures if the Philippines failed to "immediately correct" its directive.