Taiwan is preparing to open a second representative office in the Philippines, this time in Cebu, as Taipei and Manila expand economic ties amid growing regional tensions with Beijing.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung confirmed the plan on Sept. 15, saying the new office would support Taiwanese travelers and businesses while advancing a proposed Taiwan-Philippines Economic Corridor.

The announcement drew an objection from Beijing, but the Philippine government subsequently said its one-China policy does not prevent Manila from maintaining economic and other functional ties with Taiwan.

Cebu office plans ‘underway’

Taiwan currently operates the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines in Manila. The proposed Cebu location would become its second representative office in the country.

Japan’s Nikkei Asia first reported the plan, citing officials familiar with the discussions. Asked about the report during an interview with POP Radio, Lin confirmed that the project was moving forward.

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“This is underway, that’s correct,” Lin said, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA).

Lin said the Manila office primarily serves the northern Philippines, while Cebu would allow Taiwan to better serve tourists, Taiwanese businesses and expatriates in the central and southern parts of the country. More than 200,000 Filipinos currently work in Taiwan, according to Focus Taiwan.

“Personnel exchanges between the two sides are very frequent,” Lin said in remarks reported by Taiwan’s Public Television Service. He said an additional office would help deepen those exchanges and support the government’s economic-corridor plans.

Taiwan-Philippines Economic Corridor

Lin said the proposed office would also support development of a Taiwan-Philippines Economic Corridor linking Taiwanese investment and supply chains with the U.S.-Japan-Philippines-backed Luzon Economic Corridor.

The Luzon project connects Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas and is designed to attract investment in transportation, energy, digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. The United States, Japan and the Philippines reaffirmed the initiative at a Luzon Economic Corridor investment forum in Manila on Sept. 10.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry has been promoting its own corridor concept since at least 2025. In announcing a Taiwanese trade delegation to the Philippines last year, the ministry said the initiative was intended to connect with the Luzon corridor and deepen cooperation in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, energy, smart agriculture and other supply-chain sectors. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the effort was aimed at building more resilient regional supply chains.

People-to-people exchanges have also expanded. The Philippines currently allows Taiwanese passport holders visa-free stays of up to 14 days, while Taiwan has extended reciprocal visa-free entry for Filipinos through July 31, 2027. The Philippine News Agency reported that Manila described its visa policy as reciprocal treatment for Taiwan’s visa-free program.

A bilateral double-taxation arrangement has also advanced, although it has not yet completed the Philippine ratification process. The Philippine Senate Foreign Relations Committee took up the Taiwan tax agreement in August as part of a package of international agreements under review.

Beijing objects as Manila defends Taiwan ties

Lin has also framed closer Taiwan-Philippines relations in strategic terms, saying the two sides are closely connected along the First Island Chain and face growing pressure from China.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made similar remarks about the consequences of a Taiwan conflict in August 2025, saying geographical proximity and the large Filipino population in Taiwan meant “there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it.” Marcos later stressed that he was referring primarily to the humanitarian challenge of evacuating Filipino nationals, according to Reuters.

National Chengchi University diplomacy professor Huang Kwei-bo told Public Television Service that worsening China-Philippines relations, particularly amid South China Sea disputes, have created greater room for Taipei and Manila to cooperate. He described the development as, to some extent, “a continuation of the cross-Strait diplomatic struggle,” although less visible or intense than traditional diplomatic competition.

Beijing formally objected to the Cebu plan on Sept. 16. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun urged Manila to “abide by the one-China principle with concrete actions” and avoid steps Beijing said could damage China-Philippines relations, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The Philippines pushed back four days later. Its Department of Foreign Affairs said Manila’s one-China policy remains “consistent, clear and unchanged,” but stressed that it “does not preclude the Philippines from pursuing economic, cultural and functional cooperation with Taiwan,” according to the Philippine News Agency.

Original article