Departing passengers queue before the immigration counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on July 4, 2023. The NAIA Terminal 3 doubles the number of immigration counters as part of The Bureau of Immigration and Manila International Airport Authority's plans to address long immigration queues. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Malacañang on Wednesday denied that the Philippine government is targeting Chinese nationals in the country after Beijing warned its citizens here against possible harassment from local authorities.

The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines earlier issued a travel advisory, saying Chinese nationals planning to travel to the Philippines need to “strengthen security precautions and emergency preparedness” and to “reduce unnecessary outings” after some Chinese businesses and citizens were allegedly "interrogated and harassed" by Filipino authorities.

“We can assure China na hindi tayo nagtatarget ng kahit anong nationality,” Presidential Communication Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a Palace briefing.

(We can assure China that we are not targeting any nationalities)

“Lahat ay welcome except kapag gumagawa ng krimen iimplement po natin ang batas,” she said.

(All are welcome except those who commit crime. In which case, we will implement the law)

China warns Chinese citizens over ‘unstable public security’ in PH

China’s travel advisory may have stemmed from several arrests of Chinese nationals linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, which have been banned in the Philippines since the start of 2025, the Palace official said.

Philippine authorities earlier announced that it is investigating the presence of possible Chinese spies in the country, including individuals who have been giving massive donations to government units and agencies.

While several Chinese nationals have been arrested over suspicions of espionage, there are also three Filipinos who have been detained in China in March due to espionage allegations.

When asked if the Philippines should issue a similar travel advisory for Filipino nationals in China, Castro refused to answer, saying that the matter should be raised with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The DFA has yet to issue a statement over China’s recent travel advisory over what it called as an “unstable public security” situation in the Philippines.

DOT says 'love for PH' to drive international tourism growth in 2025

According to Department of Tourism data, arrivals from China have been down 35.31% at 53,250 from January to February against the same period in 2024. The DOT has attributed the decline to more stringent visa requirements.

Tourism from China grew during the Duterte administration, which sought friendly ties with the country despite the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea, seeing steady growth until reaching 1.7 million arrivals in 2019.

Foreign policy and geoeconomics journalist Bethany Allen notes that China has used trade and tourism to help influence foreign policy and "punish governments for defending their territorial claims against incursions by Chinese-flagged vessels in the South China Sea." 

She wrote in 2023 in "Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World" that "[i]n 2012, China blocked banana imports from the Philippines and limited Chinese tourism there amid a standoff between Chinese fishing vessels and the Philippine Navy over the contested Scarborough Shoal."

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